Corona virus vaccine bottles lying in a row. /Photo = Daniel Schludi of Unsplash
[아시아타임즈=최율소 기자] The UK has embarked on a study to respond to a new pandemic that may occur in the future. Since we do not know which pathogens will cause a pandemic, we will create candidates and develop vaccines and treatments in advance.
On the 7th (local time), British Sky News reported that more than 200 scientists are conducting research at the Porton Down Laboratory Complex, a British government-affiliated research facility.
Sky News in the UK said, “As a result of personally accompanying the site managed by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), it was confirmed that the research was being conducted in a laboratory that was strictly blocked from the outside world.”
The research team set out to study by creating a list of high-risk animal viruses that can infect humans and are highly contagious. We call it ‘disease X’ because we don’t know which pathogen on this list will trigger the next pandemic.
UKHSA Executive Director Professor Jenny Harris said: “What we are doing here is to make sure we are prepared for a new pandemic. When disease X appears, you will have already completed all preparations.” He continued, “But in case we fail to prevent the pandemic, we have already started developing a vaccine and treatment.”
Fortn Down’s vaccine development and evaluation center is currently being expanded for Disease X research. This center was originally a place to test the effectiveness of the variant Corona 19 virus vaccine. However, it is currently being used to monitor several high-risk pathogens, including avian flu, monkeypox, and the rodent-borne disease hantavirus.
The results of the research are also appearing. One of the achievements of the research team is the world’s first vaccine against ‘Crimian Congo hemorrhagic fever’, a disease with a mortality rate of 30%. An early-stage clinical trial of the disease, which is transmitted by ticks, has begun in 24 volunteers.
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever has recently become common in Europe as global temperatures rise and some tourists return to the UK infected.
Professor Harris said climate change and population shifts are increasing the likelihood of another pandemic.
“We are seeing rising risks around the world, such as the migration of ticks and mosquitoes to warmer places and the avian flu caused by urbanization,” he said. “These risks are growing. But there is science to prevent it.”
2023-08-07 01:55:00
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