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Support second-generation COVID-19 vaccine research at Burnet.
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Every single day we are seeing the devastating effects of COVID-19 Variants of Concern around the world.
When a virus replicates, or makes copies of itself, it sometimes changes slightly, and these changes are called mutations. A virus with one or more new mutations is referred to as a variant of the original virus.
Variants of the virus will keep happening as long as the virus is in high circulation. These variants can grow to be more transmissible. They can mutate to avoid immunity.
At the moment, the variants are being controlled by two doses of the AstraZeneca and by the Pfizer vaccine. However, it looks as if the variants are getting a little bit better each time at avoiding antibodies produced by vaccines.
Right now, getting people vaccinated is absolutely critical in our fight against COVID-19. But looking to the future, variants of concern mean that the world is in desperate need of a second-generation vaccine, or booster shot, that is effective against all COVID-19 variants. A universal vaccine.
Image: Professor Heidi Drummer
Research underway in the Burnet laboratories by scientists in the Viral Entry and Vaccines Group, led by Professor Heidi Drummer and Doctor Andy Poumbourios, has the potential to create that much needed universal vaccine.
We have no time to lose.
These variants are having a devastating impact on many countries. Without vaccines, high viral loads of COVID-19 circulating in communities will lead to more variants, sickness and deaths.
But Burnet scientists, quite literally, do not have confirmed funding to continue with their research beyond the end of this year.
Your support before 30 June is critical.
Your donation today will keep Heidi, Andy and their teams in the lab, working to get the unique Burnet second-generation vaccine research through the ‘proof of concept’ stage, allowing it to progress to manufacture, and out into the world where it has the potential to neutralise the threat of COVID-19 Variants of Concern.
Click below to view a larger image
To create and translate knowledge into better health, so no-one is left behind.
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