The National Institute for Biological Standards and Control will be running a series of training modules for members of the Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturer’s Network (DCVMN) throughout 2020.
This initiative is being organised by the Future Vaccine Manufacturing Research (FVMR) Hub, based at Imperial College London, of which the NIBSC is an important core member due to its global reputation as a leading institute for vaccine quality control testing.
A total of 16 applications from DCVMN members across 6 countries has been accepted and training modules have been compiled in line with their needs. NIBSC scientists will be sharing their expertise in identity and potency testing of 8 types of vaccine: hepatitis B, diphtheria/tetanus, pertussis, HPV, influenza, measles/rubella, meningitis and polio.
The training will assist vaccine manufacturers in meeting the World Health Organisation’s prequalification testing requirements that ensure the quality of vaccines purchased by the United Nations for use in developing countries.
It is hoped that this will provide these countries with better access to a consistent and sustainable supply of quality vaccines at an affordable price, ultimately leading to substantial advances in global public health.
Dr Mark Page, Principal Scientist at the NIBSC comments:
“The NIBSC is delighted to be able to work with DCVMN through the FVMR to deliver this training. We feel that the expertise and knowledge of our scientists in assuring the quality of vaccines through complex laboratory testing methods will provide a top quality training package to the manufacturers. We look forward to working with them on this important initiative.”
Professor Robin Shattock, Director of the FVMR Hub, adds:
"One of the highest priorities of the FVMR hub is to meet the training need of low and middle income country manufacturers. Matching the training needs of the members of the DCVMN with the expertise of the NIBSC is a perfect model of collaboration. Those that receive training by the NIBSC will then be able disseminate this newly gained knowledge and experience to their colleagues, maximising the global impact of this initiative. This is an exciting endeavour and may provide an important blueprint for future scientific exchange.”
This research is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care using UK Aid funding and is managed by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC, grant number: EP/R013764/1). The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Department of Health and Social Care.
The training programme is expected to begin this summer. More information about additional types of training that the NIBSC can offer can be found on our Training and events page.