In early 2020, immunology research focused on finding a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 as part of the inter-departmental COVID-19 Response Team, led by the faculty. Under the leadership of professor Robin Shattock, the team made a significant breakthrough by reducing a part of the normal development time to develop the vaccine from "two to three years to just 14 days." By February 2020 the research team was at the stage of testing the vaccine on animals. The faculty's 16 March 2020 report entitled "Impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to reduce COVID-19 mortality and healthcare demand" was described in a March 17 The New York Times article, as the coronavirus "report that jarred the U.S. and the U.K. to action".
