About this episode
The episode discusses the development of an mRNA vaccine for H5N1 and features insights from experts on pandemic preparedness and scientific discoveries.
A phase 3 clinical trial is underway to determine the effectiveness of an mRNA vaccine for H5N1, a strain of influenza that is currently of concern. The virus, which is commonly found in birds across the world and is rarely transmitted to humans. However, when it is transmitted, the disease is often fatal, and scientists fear that if the virus were to mutate, it could lead to rapid, widespread infection. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, governments around the world are keen to be better prepared for future threats. These latest efforts aim to develop an mRNA vaccine that could be rolled out on an unprecedented scale if the worst were to happen. John Tregoning, author of Infectious: Pathogens and How We Fight Them and Professor of Vaccine Immunology at Imperial College London, joins Tom to explain how these mRNA vaccines could revolutionise preparedness. In the lead-up to the 100th birthday of the world-famous broadcaster and behavioural ecologist Sir David Attenborough, Inside Science is shining a spotlight on a species of scientific importance that has been named after him. This week, Dr Frankie Dunn describes her discovery of a fossil that we now know to be the earliest animal…
People in this episode
Host: Tom Whipple
Guests: John Tregoning, Dr Frankie Dunn
Topics covered
- pandemic prevention
- mRNA vaccine
- H5N1
- vaccine development
- scientific discovery
- science news
Keywords
- H5N1
- mRNA vaccine
- pandemic
- vaccine immunology
- scientific discovery
- David Attenborough
- clinical trial
- infectious diseases
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Imperial College London, Nature, BBC Radio 4
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