Ministers in the UK have inaugurated a brand-new vaccine research facility where experts will strive to develop vaccines for “disease X,” the upcoming probable pandemic virus.
Located at the UK Health and Security Agency’s (UKHSA) Porton Down site in Wiltshire, the state-of-the-art Vaccine Development and Evaluation Centre is cutting edge.
Live viruses will be maintained on-site in specialised containment facilities so that researchers can evaluate infections for which there is no vaccine yet or for which immunisation could be enhanced, such the flu or mpox.
Prof Dame Jenny Harries said: “What we’re trying to do now is capture that really excellent work from Covid and make sure we’re using that as we go forward for any new pandemic threats.”
She added: “What we try to do here is keep an eye on the ones that we do know. For instance, we are still evaluating Covid’s new versions with the offered vaccinations to make sure they are still effective. However, we are also considering how soon we can create a fresh test that would be applied if a completely new infection appeared someplace.”
The facility’s establishment has been announced following testimony during the Covid inquiry that past administrations’ pandemic preparations were inadequate because they placed too much emphasis on the potential for an influenza pandemic rather than other viruses. David Cameron, a previous prime minister, had acknowledged that this was a “mistake”.
Prof. Isabel Oliver, the chief scientific officer of UKHSA, said, “We know that with scientific advances, we may detect and manage these spreads before they have the impact that Covid-19 did on our life. It’s not simple, but we are aware that we may achieve substantially better results if we increase surveillance and hasten the development of diagnostics, vaccines, and medicines.”
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