Dr Francis Collins said traditional vaccine development methods are slower and, in a fast-moving pandemic, time is critical. (Screengrab from virtual interaction)The world is unprepared for another pandemic like Covid-19 in the next one decade, Dr Francis Collins, the longest serving director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the main government agency for public health research in the United States, has said.“I don’t have a better crystal ball than anyone else about what the next major threat to public health will be. People say, statistically, another pandemic is likely to occur within the next couple of decades. I hope it doesn’t arrive soon, because at the moment, we are not well prepared to respond to it,” Dr Collins said.The physician-geneticist, noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and leadership of the International Human Genome Project, was responding to queries at a recent virtual interaction with reporters and incoming Fellows of the Health Coverage Fellowship at Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health. The interaction was moderated by Larry Tye who directs the Center for Health Communication’s Health Coverage fellowship at Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health.On a query by The Indian Express as to which global health issue worries him the most, Dr Collins categorically said: HIV.“We have highly effective treatments, but no cure. These treatments only work if people can actually access them. With recent disruptions to programmes like PEPFAR and USAID, that access is being threatened, meaning people may once again die from a disease we know how to manage,” he said.Six years since Covid-19 pandemic began, Collins said he was worried by the fact that mRNA vaccine research, aimed at pandemic preparedness, had been scaled back in the United States.Must Read | ‘Similar to Covid’: Karnataka travel operators appeal to PM Modi for financial relief amid West Asia crisis“I think it leaves us in a very vulnerable position,” he said, explaining that one of the key advantages of the mRNA technology was the speed with which it could be developed.Story continues below this ad“It (mRNA technology) allows for rapid vaccine design, as we saw during the response to SARS-CoV2. In that case, the Moderna vaccine design was completed at the NIH Vaccine Research Centre within about 48 hours after the viral sequence was released by a Chinese scientist on January 10, 2020,” he said.He said traditional vaccine development methods are slower and, in a fast-moving pandemic, time is critical. “The pandemic tends not to sneak up on you. It hits you hard,” Dr Collins said.He also expressed deep concern about the way in which widespread polarisation, distrust, misinformation and disinformation shaped public perception and response during Covid-19.“That experience may leave populations more sceptical in the future. In case there is a severe influenza pandemic similar to the one that spread in 1918, one with high mortality even among young people and without an immediately available vaccine or effective treatment, again we would have to rely on traditional public health measures such as isolation, quarantine and masking,” he said.Story continues below this ad“The question is whether the public would be in the mood to do that or is everybody so jaded at this point that it will be very hard to implement these standard approaches. I am really worried about this,” he said.“So, both in terms of our vaccine and public health response, I think we are worse off than we were in the early days of 2020, in terms of being ready to handle what comes along,” he said.Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read MoreClick here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:COVID-19pandemic