Specialists in Russia are working towards creating “canned” vaccines that can target 15–20 pathogens in preparation for any future pandemics. This initiative was revealed by Alexander Gintsburg, the director of Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology.
“The main mistake or shortcoming that we had in 2019 was that we were not preparing for a pandemic, but we were preparing to repel only a pandemic caused by H5N1, that is, bird flu. <…> It is not necessary to make such a mistake now, it is necessary to allocate 15–20 pathogens, to allocate one technology, on which it is necessary to create “canned” vaccine preparations in the amount of 15–20 pathogens, which in case of pandemic complications would be developed within literally two or three weeks in the amount that is necessary to ensure civilian full circulation”, – said Gintsburg in his speech at the forum ‘Healthy Society’.
He noted that as a result of work on prevention and monitoring of a new pandemic, a clear idea of molecular markers that infectious agents with pandemic potential should possess has emerged.
He believes that organizations concerned with preventing possible pandemics should agree on a single list of infectious disease agents that could cause a pandemic. “This is a concise list – containing 15 to 20 maximum pathogens for today,” he emphasized.