Vaccine innovation

New vaccines and an expansion of vaccination programmes over the past decades have substantially reduced childhood mortality, given hope towards the elimination of vaccine-preventable cancers, and will help face the next challenges ahead.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a prime example of why innovation matters for people all around the world. Thanks to innovation, we now have multiple COVID-19 vaccines using a range of technology platforms. The mRNA technology is just one of them and it wasn’t developed overnight. It took decades of research to bring the technology to where it is today. Vaccine research and development is a lengthy process, usually taking 10-15 years, with multiple steps before any vaccine can be approved by the regulatory authorities.

Innovation has equipped us with the tools to tackle one health crisis, and it can help tackle others we might encounter today or tomorrow, such as AMR, climate change and the ageing population. These are complex health challenges and to address them properly, we need a diversity of vaccine technology platforms.

In 2022, Vaccines Europe conducted the first-ever pipeline review of its 15 member companies. The pipeline review was updated in 2023, showing there are 103 vaccines in development using 12 different technology platforms, across 30 disease areas.

However, innovation needs the right regulatory environment to thrive. It is paramount to ensure Europe offers a favourable environment for innovation, with appropriate incentives and IP protections.

Innovation is only the first step. It would help us tackle upcoming health threats, but to take full advantages of it, we need sustainable immunisation financing and improved country readiness to ensure equitable access to vaccination.