Accelerating vaccine development: Plug-and-play platforms for emerging infectious diseases

Abstract

Emerging pathogens underscore an urgent need for rapidly developed vaccines to minimize mortality and societal disruption. Traditional vaccine development requires time spans of years, making it ill-suited to fast evolving viruses that can overwhelm healthcare systems and economies. In response, plug-and-play vaccine platforms offer a more agile solution. By reusing proven backbones, they reduce the repetitive safety and production steps otherwise required for each new pathogen, thus accelerating both regulatory approval and large-scale manufacturing. In parallel, artificial intelligence and computational tools enable faster antigen and epitope identification, more accurate immune response modeling, and improved vaccine design. These innovations have already shortened timelines and enhanced efficacy.