Read on Twitter
getting people understandably concerned about the exit strategy for international travel restrictions, ie “where does it end?”
there is a simple answer that’s current government policy but few seem aware of: VMIC https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/01/16/britain-will-able-vaccinate-nation-against-new-covid-strains/
there is a simple answer that’s current government policy but few seem aware of: VMIC https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/01/16/britain-will-able-vaccinate-nation-against-new-covid-strains/
VMIC stands for the Vaccine Manufacturing Innovation Centre, and was first funded back in 2017
since the pandemic started, the government has since spent an extra £131 million to speed up the build and get this facility operational by the end of 2021 https://pharma.nridigital.com/pharma_feb21/uk_vaccines_manufacturing_innovation
since the pandemic started, the government has since spent an extra £131 million to speed up the build and get this facility operational by the end of 2021 https://pharma.nridigital.com/pharma_feb21/uk_vaccines_manufacturing_innovation
the plan is for VMIC to be able to manufacture mRNA vaccines: the new vaccine technology that Moderna and Pfizer used to design their highly effective COVID vaccines
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/944308/VTF_Interim_report_-_5th_publication.pdf
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/944308/VTF_Interim_report_-_5th_publication.pdf
Moderna’s 95% effective Covid vaccine took them just 2 days to design based on a leaked virus genome from China!
this was in early January 2020! designing vaccines with this new mRNA technology is now super easy and incredibly fast https://twitter.com/calebwatney/status/1331680165504671744?s=20
this was in early January 2020! designing vaccines with this new mRNA technology is now super easy and incredibly fast https://twitter.com/calebwatney/status/1331680165504671744?s=20
now we know mRNA vaccines are effective against Covid, we can massively speed up the trials and regulatory process for ‘Covid vaccine updates’ too, as confirmed by Matt Hancock earlier this month
https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-matt-hancock-says-latest-lockdown-will-be-the-last-but-coronavirus-jabs-might-be-needed-every-six-months-12181677
https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-matt-hancock-says-latest-lockdown-will-be-the-last-but-coronavirus-jabs-might-be-needed-every-six-months-12181677
so here’s how we open the borders again as soon as we have large scale national mRNA vaccine manufacturing online
1) the genomic code of a new variant of Covid is sequenced (can be anywhere in the world) and if tests show the new variant risks escaping current vaccines, VMIC immediately begins to produce an experimental vaccine
2) antibodies produced after exposure to this vaccine can be tested against the new variant virus in lab experiments to double-check the efficacy against the new variant, then large-scale production begins
3) regulatory approval is granted by MHRA on the basis that this vaccine is only a minor change from an existing fully trialled mRNA Covid vaccine, so it can immediately be authorised for clinical use
4) mobile vaccination teams and GP surgeries quickly vaccinate the elderly and clinically extremely vulnerable … with sufficient funding and quick processes, this can start within 6-8 weeks of first identifying the new variant
key point here: not everyone will need to be vaccinated immediately! ‘vaccine escape’ with this virus is likely to mostly affect the elderly, as they are innately more vulnerable to this disease and produce fewer antibodies when vaccinated
for the rest of us, even an imperfect immune response from a first generation vaccine is likely to keep us from getting badly ill with a new variant, so the country can stay open until the updated vaccine is rolled out to everyone
so once we have this ‘vaccine update’ process ready and the first generation vaccines rolled out, 
can face whatever variants the world throws at us
in the mean time we should have a 14 day plus PCR test hotel quarantine at the border
can face whatever variants the world throws at usin the mean time we should have a 14 day plus PCR test hotel quarantine at the border
there’s only one problem: the Treasury has released £131 million to speed up the VMIC project last year
£131 million
that’s the same amount as it cost to run the furlough scheme for just over 2 hours last month!
£131 million
that’s the same amount as it cost to run the furlough scheme for just over 2 hours last month!
I think can afford more than the costs of 2 hours of furlough to get our lives back to normal and our borders open safely
even the total amount spent on vaccine purchasing and manufacture (£6 billion) is only the equivalent of 4 days of furlough!
can afford more than the costs of 2 hours of furlough to get our lives back to normal and our borders open safelyeven the total amount spent on vaccine purchasing and manufacture (£6 billion) is only the equivalent of 4 days of furlough!
I feel like I’m going slightly mad pointing the vast discrepancies between the costs of continuing this crisis, versus the costs of solving it once and for all with large-scale mRNA vaccine manufacture
but it’s all true and possible, in fact it’s government policy right now
but it’s all true and possible, in fact it’s government policy right now
it’s just for whatever reason the money that should be flowing freely to solve this pandemic once and for all, seems to be inappropriately rationed for some reason
if anyone can point this problem out to the ‘big brains’ in the Treasury, you could do us all a massive favour
if anyone can point this problem out to the ‘big brains’ in the Treasury, you could do us all a massive favour
so in summary:
build the VMIC, our national mRNA vaccine manufacturing capability that we already have coming, but bigger, better and faster
then we can open our borders safely, knowing can deal with whatever variants the globe can and will send our way
build the VMIC, our national mRNA vaccine manufacturing capability that we already have coming, but bigger, better and faster
then we can open our borders safely, knowing
can deal with whatever variants the globe can and will send our way
however, until this is ready we need to keep future vaccine-resistant variant strains out of , and that means Australia-style hotel quarantine
to see why, look at how successful our current measures were at keeping out the new South African strain
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-55786409
, and that means Australia-style hotel quarantine to see why, look at how successful our current measures were at keeping out the new South African strain
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-55786409
fortunately our current vaccines should still protect against this South African variant, though Moderna is still testing an ‘update’ just in case https://investors.modernatx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/moderna-covid-19-vaccine-retains-neutralizing-activity-against
when the next variant arrives, we may not be so lucky, and rather than have to ‘wait our turn’ during an international vaccine shortage and potentially lock down again in the mean time (ugh), let’s get this sovereign manufacturing capability built before we take the risk …
