Administrator Lim Seung-gwan of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said, "We will support messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine development," adding, "Even if a new infectious disease pandemic comes, we will build the capacity to swiftly develop a vaccine within 100–200 days to protect the public." Lim said this at a press briefing held at the agency in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, on the 9th.
mRNA delivers part of DNA's information to the ribosome, a cellular organelle, to synthesize proteins, acting as a "messenger." During the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, mRNA vaccines drew attention. Previously, immunity was induced by injecting an inactivated virus or some proteins, but mRNA vaccines induce an immune response by delivering only genetic information. Even if a virus mutates, vaccines can be produced quickly with just the genetic information, which is an advantage.
The agency is running an "mRNA Vaccine development support project" to ensure a stable vaccine supply in preparation for a pandemic. Administrator Lim said, "If the project is successfully completed, Korea will have a foothold to get ahead in the global vaccine race," adding, "We will disclose the mRNA Vaccine development process transparently to build trust in vaccine effectiveness and safety."
The agency picked avian influenza (AI) as the top infectious disease likely to cause the next pandemic. Avian influenza typically spreads through migratory birds, but recently there has been a rise in infections among mammals, such as dairy cows and humans. There have been no human infections in Korea. However, it said preparations are needed because if human-to-human transmission begins, it could lead to a pandemic. Avian influenza infection causes fever, cough, headache, muscle pain, and pneumonia.
The agency explained that even if an avian influenza pandemic occurs, it can respond with mRNA technology. An agency official said, "It is difficult to predict what mutations the avian influenza virus will undergo," adding, "Even if such a situation arises, if we develop an mRNA Vaccine, we can respond quickly in line with the mutations."
Administrator Lim said, "From SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and swine flu to MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) and COVID-19, Korea's public health has advanced through multiple infectious diseases," but also noted, "It is questionable whether past response methods will be valid for the next infectious disease crisis." Lim said, "We need a management system that fits the rapidly changing times and the characteristics of circulating infectious diseases."
Administrator Lim also said the agency will strengthen artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. Lim said, "With AI, we can conduct epidemiological investigations of infectious disease patients to automatically identify close contacts, and we can also automatically screen inbound travelers who show suspicious symptoms," adding, "We will monitor false health information spreading on social media (SNS) with AI and reduce harm caused by misinformation."
The agency plans to provide a "heat illness occurrence prediction system" next year that integrates weather data with heat illness patient data. Administrator Lim said, "Based on data science, we will proactively predict and manage diseases."