UK chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance has held sessions between industry and experts to plan for the next pandemic Getty Images
The UK government and life science industry leaders have pledged to work towards a plan that could see vaccines ready in just 100 days in the event of a new pandemic.
Meeting the ambitious goal would involve new therapeutics, diagnostics and vaccines against potential future diseases being part-developed before a fresh outbreak began, the UK鈥檚 Department of Health said.
It would require continued collaboration between companies, academic and medical researchers, regulators and global health bodies, the department added.
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The UK government acknowledged that cutting the time to deliver vaccines from a little more than 300 days 鈥 the period in which this feat was achieved in 2020 鈥 to just 100 days in any future pandemic situation would take such work to 鈥渢he next level鈥.
Chief executives and representatives of firms including AstraZeneca, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline gave their support to the so-called 100 Days Mission set out by the Pandemic Preparedness Partnership, after discussions at the G7 Health Ministers鈥 Meeting this week.
Lord Bethell, minister of innovation at the UK Department of Health, and the UK government鈥檚 chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance held sessions between industry and experts to discuss how challenges around new diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines could be overcome.
鈥淭he first 100 days in a pandemic are crucial to changing the course of a disease,” said Vallance. 鈥淚n those three months, diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines are key weapons.”
鈥淕iven the extent of the social, economic and health impacts caused by covid-19, the 100 Days Mission is rightly ambitious and sets a goal for us to which we can all aspire,鈥 he said.
鈥淪afe and highly effective vaccines have been delivered in record time, which is an incredible achievement, with life-saving jabs produced at scale and now being delivered to countries globally,” said UK health secretary Matt Hancock. “We are going to build on that with the 100 Days Mission. We are only going to get out of this global pandemic if the whole world is able to get out.鈥
The pandemic preparedness road map is due to be presented at the G7 leaders鈥 event in Cornwall, UK, on 11 June.
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