In response to the new Ebola outbreak in Africa, former Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) is calling for significantly increased, potentially government-organized vaccine research against the dangerous virus. Speaking to “Stern” Lauterbach noted that he believes private companies leading this research find the undertaking unprofitable.
According to Lauterbach, this necessitates “much better methods” for supporting vaccine development. He specifically criticized the damage caused by the US government, citing a sharp decline in American-initiated or funded vaccine research. He pointed out that US specialists were notably absent from the current outbreak site. For him, the ability of the United States to quickly contain and detect infection outbreaks is of paramount global importance, emphasizing that America still possesses the world’s leading pandemic experts.
While the situation overseas demands intense attention, Lauterbach assesses the immediate risk level within Germany as very low. Nevertheless, he cautioned that the increase in zoonoses-pathogens and diseases transmitted from animals to humans-should be taken seriously, signaling that the world is entering an unstable period. He concluded by stating that, fortunately, the current outbreak does not pose a threat to Germany or Europe.
