In an effort to prevent future pandemics from causing widespread disruption like Covid-19, the UK Government has unveiled the Vaccine Development and Evaluation Centre (VDEC) at the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) science and defence technology campus in Porton Down, Wiltshire. This state-of-the-art facility will serve as a critical hub for scientists working to combat emerging infectious diseases and develop improved vaccines.
The VDEC will maintain live viruses in specialised containment facilities, focusing on pathogens that lack vaccines or where immunisation could be enhanced, such as flu, mpox, or hantavirus. Additionally, researchers will test new Covid-19 vaccines against emerging variants, target other diseases like tuberculosis (TB), and conduct phase one clinical trials for a potential world-first jab against Crimean-Congo haemorrhage fever, a tick-borne virus with a high fatality rate.
Professor Dame Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of UKHSA, emphasised the facility’s mission to build upon the valuable lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic and apply them to tackle future pandemic threats effectively. The VDEC also aims to enhance the UK’s preparedness for the so-called “disease X,” unidentified pathogens with pandemic potential, by evaluating existing vaccines’ effectiveness against known dangerous viruses and bacteria.
The facility’s launch follows the publication of the UKHSA’s three-year strategy, which focuses on improving health outcomes through vaccination.
The UK’s preparedness for pandemics has been under scrutiny, with past governments primarily focusing on preparing for influenza outbreaks, as former Prime Minister David Cameron admitted.
Janet Valentine, Executive Director for Innovation and Research Policy at the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, stressed the importance of actively seeking and delivering new vaccines and treatments to combat pandemics promptly, highlighting the critical role that the VDEC will play in achieving this goal.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay expressed confidence in the centre’s capabilities, praising the world’s leading scientists working at the facility to protect the UK and save lives globally. The VDEC will also contribute to the 100 Days Mission, an ambitious global goal set by the G7 to deploy vaccines against new pandemic threats within 100 days of identification.
