UK cites Irkutsk reports in £33.2m vaccine funding announcement

The UK government announced £33.2 million for eight vaccine-development projects. Plague is among the infections targeted. The money covers several diseases; a separate allocation for plague is not stated.

The release explicitly mentions reports of suspected pneumonic plague following a laboratory worker’s death in the Irkutsk region and almost 200 contacts under medical observation. It does not confirm the diagnosis or attribute the funding decision solely to Irkutsk.

Chris McDonald, UK Minister for Science, Innovation and Investment, described preparation for future epidemics. Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, stressed safe vaccines. Claire Spooner, Director of Innovation as a Service at Innovate UK, and Richard Pebody, director of epidemic and emerging infections at UKHSA (UK Health Security Agency), also supported preparedness.

Published 8 October: machine-readable timestamp 13:27:43 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time), 14:27:43 in the UK (UTC+1), 21:27:43 in Irkutsk (UTC+8). Decision and individual speaking times are not given. Added to the chronicle on 8 October.