Britain’s government has launched a vaccine taskforce to combat coronavirus.
From Downing Street, Business Secretary Alok Sharma hosted today’s briefing and said one of the ways we can defeat the virus is to find a vaccine.
"Just as Edward Jenner [English physician] developed the small pox vaccine in the 18th century, we need to apply the best of British scientific endeavour for the search of a coronavirus vaccine," said Mr Sharma.
The taskforce will be led by the country's top scientists, researchers and companies towards that single goal.
"The vaccine taskforce is key to coordinating efforts to rapidly accelerate the development and manufacture of a potential new vaccine, so we can make sure it is widely available to patients as soon as possible," he said.
The government also announced today 21 new coronavirus research projects set to benefit from a share of around NZ$28 million in government funding.
Already pioneering British researchers at the University of Oxford, alongside the universities of Edinburgh, Liverpool, Southampton and Bristol are all working to ensure any coronavirus vaccine, once developed, is available and affordable to the NHS.
An increase of 847 deaths since yesterday has seen Britain's death toll stand at more than 14,500.
SHARE ME