‘Moonshot’ plan to have vaccines ready in 100 days

UK RESEARCHERS are poised to launch a blueprint for a “100-day” vaccine tomorrow in an effort to stop the next pandemic in its tracks.

The plan involves scientists creating an estimated 100 prototype vaccines for the 25 viral families known to infect humans. Then, when the next virus with pandemic potential emerges, scientists say they will be able to build on the prototype to develop a vaccine ready for use within 100 days.

The vaccine “moonshot” is being spearheaded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (Cepi), an organisation that helped fund the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Moderna Covid jabs.

The 100-day vaccine plan has already won the backing of both the UK Government and the G7 group of the world’s most industrialised nations.

Sir Patrick Vallance, the Government’s chief scientific adviser, said: “Science has been incredibly important during this pandemic, and has led to vaccines appearing within a year of the virus itself being identified.”

He said Cepi would be a crucial leader in implementing the 100-day vaccine plan “from vaccines and therapeutics, to try to make sure that for any future pandemic, we can get to a state where we have vaccines ready for production at scale within 100 days”.

During the pandemic vaccine development timelines have shrunk from an average of about 10 years to 326 days – a feat that inspired the 100-day mission.

Dr Richard Hatchett, chief executive of Cepi, said delivering a vaccine in 100 days would give the world a chance to “extinguish the existential threat of a future virus”.

“The goal, while ambitious, is technologically within reach,” he added.