KDCA Joins World's Largest Vaccine Evaluation Network

Strengthening Pandemic Response Capabilities
Through Global Standardization of Vaccine Efficacy Evaluation

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's National Institute of Health announced on August 6 that it has been newly designated, together with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), as a member of the Centralized Laboratory Network (CLN) operated by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).

As a result, it is expected that vaccine candidates can now be rapidly analyzed in Korea according to international standards, which will significantly accelerate the pace of vaccine development in the future.

Established in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, CEPI's Centralized Laboratory Network is a core infrastructure of CEPI's strategy to develop vaccines within 100 days of the emergence of a new infectious disease.

Participating institutions evaluate the immune response of vaccine candidates using identical test materials and standardized methods to minimize differences in measurement between laboratories. They also rapidly select the most promising vaccine candidates to accelerate development. Currently, the network consists of 20 laboratories operating globally standardized testing and analysis systems to respond to CEPI priority pathogens such as COVID-19, Ebola, MERS, and Mpox.

The National Institute of Health plans to strengthen support for clinical research to facilitate rapid evaluation of vaccine candidates and promote domestic vaccine development in the event of a pandemic. Based on its experience supporting efficacy evaluation of domestically developed COVID-19 vaccines and training specialized personnel, the institute will continue to pursue the development of clinical trial evaluation methods and reference materials for vaccines against emerging infectious diseases, as well as research to validate testing methods.

Im Seungkwan, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, stated, "Designation as a CEPI Centralized Laboratory Network member is an opportunity for Korea to become a global hub for vaccine evaluation standardization." He added, "We will contribute to the development of vaccines within 100 to 200 days in preparation for future pandemics, and take the lead in strengthening global health security through international cooperation."