Top scientists have warned that a pandemic “more devastating” than Covid is inevitable and on its way, saying “if we do not act now, we will not be forgiven”.
They point out that as a result of dismantled public services and the defunding of research, the UK is “losing ground” because it has not learnt from its previous mistakes.
Sir John Bell, a member of the UK’s Covid vaccine taskforce during the pandemic, said it is “a question of when, not if, another pandemic strikes”, explaining that the UK will not forgive itself if it does not take up an “always on” approach, improving its healthcare and putting more investment into ways in which it can identify threats and react before they turn deadly.
“Despite everything we have learned, we are not ready for the next pandemic.
Sir John Bell said it is “a question of when, not if, another pandemic strikes”
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“The next pandemic could be even more devastating than the last. We must be in a constant state of readiness for the next big health crisis – if we do not act now, we will not be forgiven,” he told The Independent.
He referred to studies that indicate there is a 38 per cent chance of another pandemic with “the potential to cause even greater destruction” than Covid will happen within most people’s life.
Professor Teresa Lambe criticised the UK Government in its failure to continue its efforts to identify new strains and its decision to close down tracking systems.
“We have learnt time and again that we need to track this virus carefully to distinguish if the current vaccine recommendations are enough.”
Professor Teresa Lambe criticised the UK Government in its failure to continue its efforts to identify new strains and its decision to close down tracking systems.
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She added: “Without more of a concerted effort to work together and invest in pandemic preparedness, we are sitting ducks for the next virus.”
The professor, who is one of the principal investigators leading the Oxford-AstraZeneca programme warned it made the UK a “sitting duck”.
“We have learnt time and again that we need to track this virus carefully to distinguish if the current vaccine recommendations are enough,” she said.
“Without more of a concerted effort to work together and invest in pandemic preparedness, we are sitting ducks for the next virus.”
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This week, figures released showed that the number of people in England waiting to start treatment has risen to a new high.
Although it showed times for the longest waits are improving, ambulance response times across the board have increased, this includes life-threatening illnesses and injuries.
Former chief scientific adviser to the government, Sir David King, said the world will likely see another pandemic in the next 15 years.
“If you wait for the next epidemic, which I think is where the government may be now – if you wait until the next vaccine is developed, for whatever disease that is, it will take months and months for that vaccine to arrive.
“We cannot rely on that. We will have many, many cases, it’ll get really out of hand again, and then we’ll have hospitals completely overwhelmed by an outbreak of this kind.”
