Leading vaccine developers say Australia's funding of infectious diseases research follows a 'panic and neglect' cycle that leaves the country vulnerable to pandemics.
Key points:
Leading experts say Australia has a 'panic and neglect' funding cycle for infectious disease research
The consequences of leaving vaccine development to big pharma were demonstrated during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa
A lack of vaccine manufacturing capacity leaves Australia vulnerable to pandemics
Professor Paul Young, a team leader of the University of Queensland's COVID-19 vaccine project, which is seen as the most promising in Australia, said that basic research is "horribly underfunded".
"It's out of that basic research that we are able to develop the strategies to combat these large pandemics," he told Four Corners.
Read more: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-08/coronavirus-vaccine-panic-and-neglect-funding-cycle/12312504
