SINGAPORE, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Singapore plans to support an mRNA influenza vaccine pilot initiative as part of efforts to strengthen the country's pandemic preparedness and develop adaptable vaccine manufacturing capabilities, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung has said.
Speaking at a United Nations General Assembly side event on outbreak preparedness and response in New York on Wednesday, Ong said mRNA could offer greater flexibility and shorter development and production timelines in responding to novel and fast-spreading diseases, according to a release by the Ministry of Health.
The pilot would also serve a peacetime need while helping Singapore build adaptable vaccine capabilities, Ong said.
Singapore is aligning its vaccine development efforts under its Prepvax research initiative with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations' 100-day mission to develop vaccines for initial authorization and scale-up within 100 days of identifying a pandemic threat.
Ong said Singapore was also working with companies including Sanofi, GSK, Moderna and Thermo Fisher Scientific, and participating in Wellcome Leap's RNA Readiness and Response Global network, which explores continuous-flow RNA manufacturing to reduce production bottlenecks. ■
