Why we exist
Our mission is to accelerate the development of vaccines and other biologic countermeasures against epidemic and pandemic threats so they can be accessible to all people in need.
Epidemic diseases affect us all. They do not respect borders
As the COVID-19 pandemic showed, in a world characterised by increasing population density, human mobility and ecological change, emerging infectious diseases pose a real and growing threat to global health security.
The costs of emerging infectious diseases are vast, in both human and economic terms. As well as the devastating death toll and disruption to societies, COVID-19 could cost the global economy US $12.5 trillion through 2024. Even small epidemics can cause tremendous economic disruption.
Vaccines are one of our most powerful tools in the fight to outsmart epidemics. The development of vaccines can help save lives, protect societies and restabilise economies.
The creation of CEPI
Historically, vaccine development has been a long, risky and costly endeavour. Planning for emerging infectious diseases is especially challenging: the market potential for vaccines against these diseases is limited and testing such vaccines is difficult.
Events like the devastating 2014-16 outbreak of Ebola in West Africa—which killed more than 11,000 people and had an economic and social burden of over US $53 billion—showed us that very few vaccines are ready to be used against these threats.
The world’s response to this crisis fell tragically short. A vaccine that had been under development for more than a decade was not deployed until over a year into the epidemic. That vaccine was shown to have 100% efficacy, suggesting that much of the epidemic could have been prevented.
CEPI was launched at Davos in 2017 as the result of a consensus that a coordinated, international, and intergovernmental plan was needed to develop and deploy new vaccines to prevent future epidemics.
Latest News
Latest News
New project aims to bolster global vaccine preparedness against SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2
Project will help to ensure the availability of antibody reagents for the development of vaccines against SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2.
New study to assess mpox vaccine in pregnant women and infants
The research could help expand vaccine access to these populations at risk of mpox complications but not currently eligible for vaccination.
The Caliciviruses, Reoviruses and Astroviruses
Attackers from these three viral families cause hundreds of millions of cases of severe diarrhoea and vomiting every year - many of them deadly.
Immune-boosting bacterial platform could aid nasal vaccines
Researchers at Abera Bioscience are set to test whether their bacterial-based platform could strengthen intranasal vaccines being developed to protect against epidemic and pandemic threats.
100 days to save eight million lives
Deploying effective COVID-19 vaccines in 100 days could have saved over eight million lives.
Canadian scientists to optimise vaccine process for faster outbreak response
Researchers will investigate whether they can speed up the creation of key vaccine ingredients to respond more quickly to future threats.
Promising human Rift Valley fever vaccine to enter Phase II clinical trials in Kenya
New CEPI-funded trial to launch in Kenya – the first ever Phase II trial of a Rift Valley fever vaccine in an endemic country mary text here
World-leading Coronavirus vaccine R&D roadmap to receive fresh updates
An important tool created to guide the development of vaccines against multiple potentially deadly Coronaviruses is being expanded.
New vaccine-making process could transform pandemic response
Scientists will receive CEPI funding to advance the RNAbox™, a process designed to scale production of mRNA vaccines at regional manufacturing sites.
Marburg – What it is, and what it is not
What is Marburg virus? How does it spread? Is there a cure? CEPI answers some of the most frequently asked online questions about this virus.
CEPI CEO Dr Richard Hatchett awarded Japanese Order of the Rising Sun
The award is one of the highest national accolades awarded to individuals who have made notable contributions to society.
Largest-ever Lassa fever study launches in-depth look at disease symptoms
Scientists in Nigeria are expanding their research into the deadly Lassa fever as part of the Enable research programme.
