Pandemic Preparedness Without a Plan

The recent announcement of a $267-million medical countermeasures laboratory in Winnipeg has been hailed as a vital step towards preventing future pandemics. However, experts warn that building the lab without committing to sustained investments in human talent and funding will be penny-wise and pound-foolish.

The facility aims to bridge a critical gap in testing early-stage vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostic tools. But health researchers caution that a brand-new building will accomplish little without sustained investments in human resources. Dr. Joanne Liu, a physician and professor at McGill University’s School of Population and Global Health, notes, “It’s one thing to have a building, but it’s another thing to have the human resources that will make it a world-class centre.” This is not just about throwing money at a problem; it’s about creating a stable ecosystem where researchers can work without constant uncertainty.

The facility would add capacity for preclinical trials within Canada’s research and development pipeline, giving scientists a dedicated place to test promising vaccines before scaling up to clinical trials. However, the lack of local cleanrooms to make test batches has frequently been cited as a “roadblock” by Canadian university researchers. The $10.2-million design contract is just the beginning; the finished building is slated to open in 2033 next to Winnipeg’s National Microbiology Laboratory (NML).

But what about the talent and funding required to make this facility truly world-class? Gary Kobinger, a former NML scientist who led the team that co-developed the world’s first successful Ebola vaccine, notes, “The important move is committing to that activity. If you build a $300-million building, hopefully you are also planning to inject funding to advance those products over the following 10 years.” This brings us to the critical issue of sustaining funding during quiet times. Investing in pandemic research can be politically popular during a pandemic, but it’s the moments when there isn’t an immediate health threat that truly test our commitment.

The recent cuts made to staff at the NML are particularly concerning. The loss of talent could affect the NML’s ability to bring in world-class researchers, making it harder to re-attract them with promises of a building alone. Dr. Liu points out, “If you want to re-attract talent, you need to not only promise a building, but promise funding to get a team to do the research, pay the salaries of the people doing the work, and fund the research itself.”

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has defended its record on pandemic preparedness, pointing to $2.5 billion in federal investments since 2018 aimed at rebuilding Canada’s life sciences sector. However, this is not just about throwing money at a problem; it’s about creating a sustainable ecosystem that can withstand the ebbs and flows of funding.

Red tape and governance risks are also a concern, as seen in the handling of the Ebola vaccine during its development in the 2000s. Canada ultimately licensed the rights to a small U.S. company, which was later acquired by pharmaceutical giant Merck. Kobinger warns, “There’s a huge risk if the countermeasures lab is run entirely by the government, given the potential for red tape or funding challenges.”

The Biologics Manufacturing Centre (BMC) in Montreal is another recent example of operational delay. The plant still had not produced any shots as of 2024, despite being built during the COVID-19 pandemic. Operations were transferred to a not-for-profit entity in 2023, but it still receives $17 million each year from the National Research Council.

Building a state-of-the-art laboratory without committing to sustained investments in human talent and funding is a recipe for disaster. It’s time for Ottawa to commit to making pandemic preparedness a long-term priority, not just a short-term fix. We can’t afford to repeat the mistakes of the past; we need a plan that will see us through the quiet times as well as the pandemics.