The UK Government is investing £33.2 million in vaccine research targeting some of the world’s most dangerous infectious diseases, including Ebola, Lassa fever, Marburg, plague and Nipah virus, as scientists work to prepare for future outbreaks.
The funding will support eight research projects aimed at developing, testing and manufacturing vaccines more quickly so they can be deployed when new disease threats emerge. The government says the investment will strengthen Britain’s pandemic preparedness while also helping protect people in low and middle-income countries where infectious disease outbreaks can have particularly severe consequences.
The programme is being supported through the UK Vaccine Network and delivered by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation. Five of the eight projects will receive Official Development Assistance funding, which is intended to support economic development and welfare in eligible developing countries.
The government says the latest investment builds on the UK’s experience developing vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. The UK Vaccine Network previously supported work that contributed to the development of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Diseases targeted by the new vaccine funding
The eight projects will focus on diseases with the potential to cause serious outbreaks and, in some cases, spread internationally. The diseases covered include Ebola, plague, Marburg, Lassa fever, Nipah virus, chikungunya and Mayaro.
Researchers will work on promising vaccine candidates, clinical trials and technologies designed to make vaccine development and manufacturing faster and more effective.
The aim is not simply to create vaccines but to strengthen the scientific, clinical and manufacturing capacity required to move from research to real-world deployment when an outbreak occurs.
The government says this preparation is particularly important because waiting until an epidemic has already spread can make it much harder to develop and distribute vaccines quickly. Research carried out between outbreaks can help scientists understand diseases, test potential vaccines and build manufacturing systems before an emergency begins.
Health Minister for Science, Innovation and Investment Chris McDonald said the world remains vulnerable to new and re-emerging infectious diseases and that outbreaks overseas can quickly become threats to people in the UK.
He said the £33.2 million investment would support scientists working to develop and deploy vaccines faster while strengthening Britain’s pandemic preparedness and life sciences sector.
The government argues that investing before a crisis occurs could help reduce the impact of future outbreaks, save lives and improve Britain’s ability to respond to emerging health threats.
Why vaccine research matters before an outbreak
Ebola remains one of the world’s most serious viral diseases, with an average case fatality rate of around 50%, although outcomes can vary significantly depending on the outbreak and the availability of medical care.
Marburg is another highly dangerous viral disease. Outbreaks have been reported in recent years, including in Rwanda in 2024 and Tanzania in 2025. The government says there is still no approved Marburg vaccine or antiviral treatment, making continued research particularly important.
The latest investment is therefore designed to keep research moving even when there is no major outbreak dominating international headlines. Scientists can use periods between outbreaks to improve vaccine candidates, conduct clinical research and develop the manufacturing capability needed to produce doses quickly.
Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, said the projects aim to prevent some of the world’s most dangerous infectious diseases.
He said developing safe and effective vaccines could strengthen the ability of countries around the world to protect their populations from serious infectious diseases.
Ebola, Lassa fever and the threat to global health
Lassa fever is another major focus of the programme and is particularly relevant to parts of West Africa, where the disease is endemic. The virus can cause severe illness and, in serious cases, can lead to death.
For countries and communities that regularly face outbreaks, access to effective vaccines could provide an important additional layer of protection alongside surveillance, early diagnosis, infection control and treatment.
The UK Government says supporting vaccine development in countries at greater risk of infectious disease outbreaks can also strengthen global health security. Outbreaks do not necessarily remain confined to the country where they begin, particularly in an increasingly connected world where people regularly travel across borders.
Recent disease alerts have reinforced the importance of maintaining preparedness. The government also pointed to reports of a suspected pneumonic plague case linked to the death of a laboratory worker in Russia’s Irkutsk region, where nearly 200 contacts were reportedly placed under precautionary medical observation.
The wider lesson for health authorities is that serious infectious diseases can emerge unexpectedly, making continued surveillance and preparedness important even when there is no global pandemic.
UK research will support global vaccine preparedness
The Department of Health and Social Care is delivering the awards through the UK Vaccine Network, which was established to accelerate vaccine development against diseases with epidemic potential.
Innovate UK is working with the department to deliver the programme, bringing together scientists, technology specialists and international partners to advance research into priority diseases.
Claire Spooner, Director of Innovation as a Service at Innovate UK, said innovation would be essential in dealing with the future threat posed by emerging infectious diseases.
She said the projects would combine scientific research, technical expertise and international collaboration to advance vaccine development and strengthen global pandemic preparedness.
The programme also has an international development element. Five projects will receive Official Development Assistance funding, allowing the UK to support research and capabilities that can benefit countries where infectious diseases pose a particularly high risk.
Why manufacturing vaccines quickly is important
Developing a vaccine is only one part of preparing for an outbreak. Health authorities also need the ability to test, manufacture, distribute and administer vaccines quickly when a disease begins spreading.
Richard Pebody, director of epidemic and emerging infections at the UK Health Security Agency, said the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo was a reminder that emerging infectious diseases should not be regarded as distant threats.
He said UKHSA plays an important role in responding to outbreaks in Britain and working with international partners, but argued that preparedness, detection and response must be supported by access to effective vaccines and the manufacturing capacity needed to produce them quickly.
The new investment is intended to strengthen that capability so the UK and its international partners can respond more rapidly when new health threats emerge.
The government’s approach reflects lessons from COVID-19, when the ability to develop and manufacture effective vaccines became one of the most important factors in reducing the impact of the pandemic.
By investing in research before the next major outbreak occurs, scientists can potentially reduce the amount of time needed to move from identifying a threat to having a vaccine ready for use.
For Nigerians living in the UK, the investment has a particularly important connection to the realities of maintaining close links between Britain and West Africa. Many Nigerian families regularly travel between the UK and Nigeria, support relatives at home, operate businesses across both countries or maintain wider family networks across several countries. An infectious disease outbreak in West Africa can therefore become a concern for families in Britain through travel, family visits and cross-border connections.
Lassa fever is especially relevant to Nigerian communities because it is a disease associated with parts of West Africa, including Nigeria. Stronger vaccine research and outbreak preparedness could therefore have significance beyond the laboratory, particularly for Nigerians who travel regularly between the UK and West Africa or have relatives living in areas affected by infectious disease outbreaks.
For Nigerian parents in the UK, the issue also highlights why reliable health information matters when outbreaks occur overseas. Travel decisions, vaccination advice and guidance from UK health authorities can become particularly important when families are planning trips to Nigeria or supporting relatives during a disease outbreak.
The UK investment also demonstrates why global health security matters to the Nigerian diaspora. Protecting people from infectious diseases is not simply about what happens inside Britain’s borders. In a community with strong family, travel, business and cultural connections to Nigeria and other parts of Africa, stronger disease surveillance, vaccine research and international cooperation can help protect people on both sides of those connections.
Chijos News will continue to follow major UK health and global disease developments that affect Nigerians living in Britain, particularly issues involving travel, public health, vaccines and health risks affecting families across the UK and Nigeria.