The U.S. government, for the time being under Donald Trump and RFK Jr., may be halting government investment in mRNA vaccine technology and research. But the United Kingdom is going in the opposite direction, celebrating the opening of a new Moderna plant capable of producing up to 250 million vaccine doses per year, and creating a £50 million fund to support recruitment of other life sciences research and development activities to the country:

 

"The UK Health Security Agency (HSA) today [Sept. 25] announced the opening of a new Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre in Harwell that has the capacity to make up to 250 million mRNA vaccine doses in a year in the event of a pandemic. In a statement, the HSA also said the country has established a $66.7 million (£50 million) fund to bring more research and development investments to the country and that Moderna is investing more than $1.3 billion (£1 billion) in a partnership with the United Kingdom over the next 10 years to discover new therapies, create jobs, and bolster pandemic preparedness."

 

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/quick-takes-avian-flu-wisconsin-poultry-plague-new-mexico-new-uk-mrna

 

 

Millions of vaccines to be made in Oxfordshire, and government unveils £50 million fund, in double boost for life sciences

"Pioneering US biotech firm Moderna will make millions of vaccines for seasonal viruses like COVID-19, create dozens of highly skilled jobs, and help build a Britain that’s more resilient to pandemics thanks to a new cutting-edge research centre opening in Oxfordshire today (Wednesday 24 September).

 

The new Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre is the latest addition to the UK’s £100 billion life sciences sector to come out of Moderna’s 10-year strategic partnership with the government. The partnership also includes an over £1 billion programme of investment in UK R&D being brought forward by the company, tapping into the UK’s deep skills base, world-class academic institutions, and the power of the NHS as an engine for research and innovation. Today’s opening sends out a clear signal about this government’s ambitions to unleash life sciences as a force for boosting our health, our wealth, and our national resilience. Strong and fruitful partnerships like this one, with Moderna, form a critical part of these endeavours.

 

The facility will support around 150 highly-skilled jobs, while enabling groundbreaking work on the use of mRNA vaccine technology to tackle cancer and seasonal infections like flu, RSV and COVID-19, subject to the usual regulatory processes. RNA technology is an emerging field of healthcare with the potential to overhaul how we tackle a wide range of diseases that currently cause ill-health and distress.  It could also be utilised to produce up to 250 million vaccine doses a year in the event of a pandemic, making a critical contribution to our national resilience to future health emergencies, by building the UK’s capacity to produce cutting-edge therapies at scale, at home, should they be needed."

...

The work Moderna are doing shows how the UK is already the go-to destination for mRNA research. Adaptable, quicker to develop and potentially more accurate than traditional medicines, RNA therapies will make sure our health services are ready to take on pandemics, rare conditions and other emerging diseases. The government is determined to work with industry and academia to seize this technology’s vast potential."

 

(more)

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-of-vaccines-to-be-made-in-oxfordshire-and-government-unveils-50-million-fund-in-double-boost-for-life-sciences

 

Clearly, the rest of the world is learning, no one if they can avoid it particularly wants to be relying on a U.S. government run by Trump and RFK Jr. when it comes to health and medical matters.

 

 

Background context from the U.S.:

 

 

The anti-vaxers here seem to think mRNA technology and vaccines are the Great Satan....  But the UK government clearly has a much different view:

 

"Adaptable, quicker to develop and potentially more accurate than traditional medicines, RNA therapies will make sure our health services are ready to take on pandemics, rare conditions and other emerging diseases."

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-of-vaccines-to-be-made-in-oxfordshire-and-government-unveils-50-million-fund-in-double-boost-for-life-sciences

 

The world is turning away from the US leadership in most areas. Medicine at the top, trade deals not involving the US, etc etc. Hope those Yanks that voted the orange buffoon in enjoy what their country is being turned into. They deserve it.