UK government launches Vaccine Taskforce to combat coronavirus

20 April 2020

A new Vaccine Taskforce will drive forward, expedite and coordinate efforts to research and then produce a coronavirus vaccine, according to a statement issued by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

A new Vaccine Taskforce will drive forward, expedite and co-ordinate efforts to research and then produce a coronavirus vaccine and make sure one is made available to the public as quickly as possible;
21 new research projects combating coronavirus will receive government funding from a £14 million ($17.5 million) pot investment to rapidly progress treatments and vaccines; and
this follows the government’s £250 million pledge to develop a vaccine, putting the UK at the forefront of international efforts to fight the virus.

The taskforce, led by chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and deputy chief medical officer Professor Jonathan van Tam, will support efforts to rapidly develop a coronavirus vaccine as soon as possible by providing industry and research institutions with the resources and support needed. This includes reviewing regulations and scaling up manufacturing, so that when a vaccine becomes available, it can be produced quickly and in mass quantities.

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