The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on the 16th it will support the development of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines so the country can respond within 200 days even if the next pandemic hits. The agency presented this plan during a policy briefing to President Lee Jae-myung at the Government Sejong Convention Center the same day.
mRNA serves as a messenger that delivers part of the DNA's information to ribosomes, the cell organelles that synthesize proteins. As the world experienced COVID-19, mRNA Vaccine drew attention. Traditionally, vaccines induced immune responses by injecting inactivated viruses or certain proteins, but mRNA vaccines induce immune responses by delivering genetic information. Even when a virus mutates, vaccines can be produced quickly as long as the genetic information is available, which is an advantage.
The agency is supporting mRNA Vaccine development to ensure stable vaccine supply in preparation for pandemics. A COVID-19 mRNA vaccine is in phase 1 clinical trials, with localization to be completed by 2028. It is also supporting the development of public-interest vaccines, including for avian influenza and respiratory syncytial virus.
The agency plans to raise the domestic production rate of national immunization program vaccines from the current 27% to 36% by 2030. It will establish a research and analysis center as the central clinical institution for infectious diseases. It will leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to respond quickly to emerging and variant infectious diseases. To enable nationwide testing from the early stages of an infectious disease crisis, it will prepare a national infectious disease testing management system and build a response system capable of testing within 30 days.
It will support treatment for groups vulnerable to tuberculosis. It aims to reduce tuberculosis patients to 10 or fewer per 100,000 people by 2030. It will also strengthen vector surveillance for mosquitoes and ticks in line with ecological changes. Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Commissioner Lim Seung-gwan said, "We will protect public safety with airtight disease control."