UK pledges £160m to boost global vaccine development
Britain has pledged an extra £160 million to boost global vaccine development, with the aim of being able to produce a global shot within 100 days of any future pandemic.
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The announcement comes ahead of the UK government hosting the Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit on 7 to 8 March in London.
The event aims to raise funds for CEPI’s goal, backed by the UK during our G7 presidency last year, to cut the time it takes to develop new vaccines to 100 days, including ‘variant-proof’ vaccines that will work against multiple future COVID-19 variants.
The money will be on top of the £276 million ($374 million, 330 million euros) that Britain has already given to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a global partnership launched in 2017 to develop vaccines to stop future outbreaks.
“This pandemic is a global challenge and it has shown the best way to chart a course back to freedom is by standing side by side with our international partners,” said British health minister Sajid Javid.
“Our £160 million pledge will support CEPI’s vital work to cut vaccine development to 100 days and protect us all against future health threats”.
Western nations have faced criticism over the lack of availability of vaccines in poorer and developing nations during the coronavirus pandemic, with former prime minister Gordon Brown accusing leaders of “unforgivable moral failure”.
MTO/Punch
