COVID 19 has changed our world in many ways, and as it stands the only solution to get us back to some state of normality (whatever this looks like) is a vaccine. However the rapid rate at which we are developing a vaccine for COVID 19 is causing concern, with big questions about their safety, ethics of production and testing, the role that the pharmaceutical industry plays in this and what future side effects could be.

Earlier this year Bill Gates was accused of illegally trialling vaccines on girls in India, the claim was dismissed and billed false however the very claim brings to light the murkiness around the world of vacccines. In this discussion we will discuss the necessity of vaccines, the ethics of production and consumption and also how the industry is managed and who should get access to them.

We are also absolutely delighted to be joined by Stephen Baker, Professor of Molecular Microbiology based in the Department of Medicine at the University of Cambridge.

His research focusses on studying the mechanisms and epidemiological influences of antimicrobial resistant Gram-negative bacteria. His group used various genomic and laboratory techniques to understand how antimicrobial resistant bacterial emerge and spread and how best they can be combatted through antimicrobials and vaccines. He has published over 300 scientific articles and is a recognized name in global health with a portfolio of work ranging from typhoid fever and other enteric diseases to hospital acquired infections and zoonoses.