Frequently Asked Questions about InterVac
What is the International Vaccine Centre (InterVac)?
InterVac is a Containment Level 3 (CL3) facility in which certain diseases can be studied, and in which vaccines for these diseases can be developed and tested.
What does “Containment Level 3 facility” mean?
The term “Containment Level 3” describes the type of safety measures and equipment needed within a facility to ensure workers are safe when studying certain types of disease-causing organisms. In the United States, the term used to describe this is “biosafety”.
What are some examples of diseases that can only be studied in a CL3 facility like InterVac?
Containment Level 3 (CL3) diseases that can be examined at InterVac include:
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Who will use InterVac?
InterVac will serve the Canadian bioscience R&D community and will link with leading national and international vaccine commercialization programs. Any research in the world conducting eligible and relevant research will be considered.
What makes InterVac unique?
InterVac is a CL3 facility that is custom built for infectious disease R&D and work with large animal models. It will be one of the largest CL3 vaccine research and development laboratories in North America, with 145,000 square feet of space available to study and test vaccines. Two main floors will be allocated for animals and laboratories; the remaining space will be used for building services, security, and laboratory support functions.
There are about 90 CL3 facilities in Canada. Various federal government agencies operate CL3 facilities for research, diagnostics and/or training purposes. The reminder are small labs that are associated with provincial health departments or medical schools.
Where will InterVac be located?
InterVac is being constructed adjacent to the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization building on the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) campus.
Who will regulate InterVac?
Containment Level 3 laboratories dealing with human pathogens must be certified by the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Office of Laboratory Security. Containment Level 3 labs dealing with animal pathogens must be certified by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. As InterVac will deal with human and animal diseases, both federal regulators will be involved.
InterVac’s biosafety officer will report to the U of S Department of Workplace,Safety and Environmental Protection. Once InterVac is operating, the U of S Biosafety program will monitor the facility, ensuring adherence to strict federal regulations.
What happens if there is a breakdown in one or more safety mechanisms?
InterVac will be a finely tuned facility, with a team of highly trained personnel working in it. Any loss of function will be detected immediately by the building’s control system and a relevant signal or alarm will be triggered, along with the appropriate response.
In addition, redundancy has been designed into the mechanical systems of InterVac. A breakdown of one piece of equipment will automatically trigger increased function of other units, or the start up of backup equipment. For example, a lab’s exhaust air is controlled by three air handlers which each run at 66% capacity and if one breaks down, the capacity of the other two will be increased to ensure air movement and filtration is not compromised.
How can the community have confidence that InterVac will be operated safely?
Containment facilities effectively isolate pathogens by using state-of-the-art equipment and stringent protocols. When built according to regulatory requirements, CL3 facilities provide safe working conditions and are safe to both the public and the environment. Since InterVac is being built to exceed current CL3 regulations, it will be more secure than standard Level 3 laboratories.
Access to InterVac laboratories will be highly restricted and controlled, with 24-hour security personnel on-site. All incoming and outgoing air flow with pass through a series of HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters and all effluent and waste will be sterilized. Rigorous safety practices, state-of-the-art safety equipment and specifically engineered building features will protect laboratory personnel and the surrounding community from exposure to infectious agents.
What happens if there are safety concerns within the local community?
An independent committee has been established by the U of S to ensure communication on safety issues related to InterVac is open and transparent. This committee, called the InterVac Community Liaison Committee (CLC), is comprised of representatives of diverse local stakeholder groups.
The CLC will be responsible for seeking information on activities of community concern, as well as for monitoring issues related to safety and any incidents of potential public interest. Members of the public are encouraged to contact the CLC with any questions or concerns. If concerns raised with VIDO and InterVac management are not addressed, the committee is authorized to direct unresolved concerns to the U of S Vice-President Research, the President of the U of S and appropriate government and regulatory officials, with the authority to take the issue to the public at large if necessary.
How will the CLC keep the public updated on what’s happening at InterVac?
The CLC can be contacted at any time with questions or concerns about the safety of InterVac in the community.
Their website will contain up to date information on any issues that may affect the safety of the public. The CLC will also hold public meetings where questions van be directed to the people who work at and operate InterVac.
Is neighbourhood safety a concern with InterVac operating near it?
Neighbourhood safety is protected by the exacting architectural and engineering features of the building. This, combined with specialized training and certification of all InterVac personnel and implementation of the strictly defined and monitored procedures within the facility, will ensure ongoing neighbourhood safety.
Some interesting facts about InterVac construction
- Over 280 kms of wire and cabling will be installed in the building.
- Over 370 kms of steel bar have been used to reinforce the concrete used in the facility. If placed end-to-end, this length would reach from Saskatoon to Weyburn.
- More than 125 employees have been involved in the construction of InterVac and more than 750,000 hours of construction work have been completed since the project commenced.
- Over 7000 cubic meters of concrete have been used in the construction of InterVac. This amount of concrete would be sufficient to build ~700 homes. If poured in the Bowl of the U of S campus, concrete would fill the entire space with a pad of concrete over 3 feet high.
