Transforming Vaccinology: Pandemic Preparedness and the Response to COVID-19

In this Keynote Address, given on June 15, 2020 as part of the eSymposia “Vaccinology in the Age of Pandemics: Strategies Against COVID-19 & Other Global Threats,” Dr. Anthony Fauci outlines the latest vaccinology advances and approaches that have vastly accelerated the development of COVID-19 vaccines.

Dr. Fauci credits recent advances in technology for enabling this unprecedented rapid response, which in just the last few years have transformed vaccinology capabilities. These include:

• Rapid genetic sequencing of new pathogens
• Structure-based vaccine design and reverse vaccinology approaches
• New and diverse vaccine platforms combined with improved adjuvants
• Humanized animal models for vaccine testing

In addition, new preparedness strategies have accelerated vaccine development efforts. Since the early 2000s, researchers have been working preemptively on vaccines for emerging pathogens, and can now apply lesson learned from these efforts in COVID-19 vaccine design, development and testing. Meanwhile, preparation of clinical trial sites, manufacturing and other logistic considerations in the testing and deployment of a vaccine are critical to have ready prior to launch.

Ultimately, new partnerships between public and private sectors have enabled all of these pieces to come together at “warp speed” in the face of this new pandemic.

Explore more on the latest vaccinology advances and approaches from the eSymposia “Vaccinology in the Age of Pandemics: Strategies Against COVID-19 & Other Global Threats,” available on-demand through VKS: