UK is 'leading contributor' to coronavirus crisis vaccine
Scottish scientist working round the clock to meet December deadline.
A Scottish scientist says she’s working round the clock to create a coronavirus vaccine.
US-based medicines giant Inovio is at the forefront of the vaccine’s development.
The pharmaceutical firm hopes to roll-out the first-ever immunisation against COVID-19 by December.
Dr Kate Broderick, who’s originally from Dunfermline in Fife, but is currently working for the company in California, says £220million from the UK Government could allow the development work to move along more quickly: “Vaccine development costs money, and it takes time – but you can do it faster if you have more money.
“This is a really significant chunk of money amid a dire situation.
“That says a lot about how seriously the UK is taking what’s going on.
“If we don’t have the funding behind the vaccine development it’s just going to slow down the process of getting these vaccines out there.”
Dr Broderick’s husband, Steve is immune compromised, and her sister is a nurse working on the frontline of Glasgow’s fight against the outbreak.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the UK aid funding at a virtual summit of G20 leaders on Thursday – the day before he was diagnosed with coronavirus.
It makes the UK the leading contributor towards an international fund to find a coronavirus vaccine.
International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: “This UK Government support will be vital in efforts to find a coronavirus vaccine and treatments, which will ultimately help stop its spread around the world.
“We are backing experts, including in the UK, to find solutions as quickly as possible to this pandemic. This will ultimately help us to save lives in this country.”