Off Script Episode 5: The Future We Could Have

Off Script is brought to you by the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics.

Episode Summary

In the final episode of this five-part series, we imagine the pandemic future we could have if we start preparing now. With therapeutic drugs ready before the next pandemic hits, we could keep more people out of hospital, help economies stay resilient, and make better-informed decisions about public health measures. This episode brings together Australia's leading health economists, policymakers, and scientists to explore how pandemic therapeutics fit into comprehensive pandemic preparedness.

What You'll Learn:

Economic blind spot - How Australia's pre-pandemic plans overlooked economic impacts.

The $3 billion weekly cost - Quantifying lockdowns' massive economic impact and how therapeutics could dramatically reduce restrictive measures in future pandemics.

Risk-based decision making - Why having treatments available transforms political leaders' risk calculations, enabling more nuanced responses than "zero tolerance" approaches.

Trust and communication challenges - Lessons from COVID-19 on science communication, why advice changes as evidence evolves, and building public trust for future pandemic responses.

Platform technology promise - How preparedness investments in foundational research infrastructure could enable rapid response to unknown future pathogens.

CDC establishment - Australia's new Centre for Disease Control and how it will coordinate research, evidence, and rapid response for future pandemics.

Equity and accessibility imperative - Why therapeutics must be widely available and trusted to truly make a difference, especially for the most vulnerable populations.

Global investment reality - The scale of funding needed for pandemic preparedness and why the returns far outweigh the costs.

Featured Experts

Dr. Angela Jackson - Health economist and co-leader of Australia's independent COVID-19 inquiry, revealing how economic planning failures prolonged lockdowns and why therapeutic availability changes everything for future pandemic management.

Professor Michael Kidd - Australia's Chief Medical Officer, outlining the comprehensive infrastructure being built for pandemic preparedness, from the Australian CDC to international research collaborations.

Professor Brett Sutton - Former Victorian Chief Health Officer and current CSIRO researcher, exploring the science communication challenges ahead and how therapeutics could provide crucial protection for society's most vulnerable.

Professor Sharon Lewin - Doherty Institute Director, assessing Australia's pandemic preparedness progress while highlighting the trust and global cooperation challenges that remain.

Off Script is hosted by Dr. Matt Agnew and produced by the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics, part of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity.

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