Russian plague death triggers major Australian pandemic response boost

The Federal Government has increased the nation's capacity to respond to pandemics and biosecurity threats as authorities seek information on the death of a plague laboratory worker in Russia last week. Labor has established a five-year partnership between the CSIRO and biotech giant Moderna. Industry Minister Tim Ayers told the Financial Review that the incident in Irkutsk highlights the fact that future pandemics are likely. He claims a major lesson from the Covid-19 pandemic is that disease preparedness is crucial.