Chris Minchell | Deputy Director – Countermeasures & Preparedness
UK Health Security Agency

Chris is Deputy Director for Countermeasures and Preparedness, responsible for ensuring the UK can respond effectively to new and emerging disease threats, pandemics, and emergency response situations. This includes risks to national and wider health security, such as the accidental or malicious release of a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear agent, and in incidents involving certain venoms and toxins. As part of this, Chris is responsible for ensuring the effective procurement, management and supply of medical countermeasures and delivery systems to protect against key health security threats. In addition, Chris is responsible for putting in place and enacting response plans where these threats materialise. Chris is also responsible for several significant government contracts and holds multiple programme director responsibilities for the UK Health Security Agency. This includes the UK’s 10-year strategic partnership with Moderna to onshore mRNA pandemic capability and significant investment in research and development, as well as an Advanced Purchase Agreement with CSL Seqirus to provide vaccines for pandemic influenza. Chris was previously Deputy Director for the COVID Vaccine Unit’s Strategy and Portfolio Management Office, looking after the management and transition of COVID19 vaccines from pandemic to endemic use, including how this fit with wider vaccines architecture. He also provided key input into the UK governments response to the COVID19 Inquiry on vaccines and learnings from the pandemic. Prior to joining the UK Health Security Agency, Chris was a Deputy Director in the UK’s Vaccine Taskforce, where he led on its international objectives – including managing geopolitical pressures on vaccine supply, international access to vaccines via donations, dose sharing/ scheduling and supporting the establishment of COVAX through the UK’s G7 Presidency. The UK Vaccines Taskforce was a joint unit that straddled both Health and Business Departments. Prior to working on health security and vaccines, Chris has held several senior and high-profile roles across the UK Civil Service, including international negotiations and contingency planning in relation to EU Exit for the former Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, as well as national security, customs and immigration posts across the Home Office.