If vaccines falter, broad-spectrum antivirals provide a global shield
If vaccines falter, broad-spectrum antivirals provide a global shield
Professor Raymond Dwek and colleagues urge renewed investment in host-targeting broad-spectrum antivirals
"The loss of measles elimination status in Canada—and by extension across North America1—underscores a sobering reality: vaccination alone no longer guarantees global protection against viral threats."
So opens a letter published in The Lancet in the last week submitted by Professor Raymond Dwek, Professor Nicole Zitzman and Dr Constantina Fotinou from the Department of Biochemistry and Professor Sir Marc Feldmann FRS from the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology at Oxford.
They argue that rising vaccine hesitancy and disrupted immunisation programmes constitute a real threat to progress made in recent decades in controlling respiratory pathogens, and that renewed investment is the way forward, not only for existing viruses but also as a strategic tool for preparedness for future pandemics.
