HERA Incubator: Anticipating together the threat of COVID-19 variants

Summary:

Communication published by the European Commission on 17 February 2021, setting out a European bio-defence preparedness plan also known as HERA Incubator.

Further information:

The Communication sets out the establishment and operation of a new bio-defence preparedness called Hera Incubator, as a tool to access and mobilise the necessary resources and means to prevent, mitigate and response to the potential impact of variants of the COVID-19 (coronavirus). This initiative is to act on a number of different fronts:

• Rapid detection of variants;
• Swift adaptation of vaccines;
• Setting up a European Clinical Trials Network;
• Fast-tracking regulatory approval of updated vaccines and new or repurposed manufacturing infrastructures;
• Enable upscaling of production of existing, adapted or novel COVID-19 vaccines.

This plan is aimed at tackling the short to medium-term threat and simultaneously prepare for the future. It is to serve as the vanguard for the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), previously announced by the European Commission.

Official

European Commission: Press Release, 17/02/2021: Coronavirus: preparing Europe for the increased threat of variants https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_641

European Commission: Questions and Answers: HERA Incubator - Anticipating together the threat of COVID-19 variants (17 February 2021) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_21_642

European Commission: Statement by President von der Leyen at the Read-out of the College meeting/Press conference on the HERA Incubator to anticipate the threat of coronavirus variants (17 February 2021) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/statement_21_647

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