Issue (WIWE) status: Submitted, Unpublished

Wild Card's progress: Basic

This Wild Card came from: 
Interviews

The source of this Wild Card: 
Martin Sharp, Liverpool John Moores University, interviewed by RTC North

Likelihood timeframe and scenario features : 
now-2025

Wild Card's description: 

There would not only be a huge financial and societal impact but also a “backlash” against science’s failure to prevent the deaths. There could be an initial boost in vaccines and immunology research, but then the research base itself could be depleted and large scale societal unrest coupled with financial problems will have significant impact. Mass deaths could lead to a breakdown of trust in science damaging the science base.