Statens Serum Institut (SSI, The State's Serum Institute), is a

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

sector research institute located on the island of Amager in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

. Its purpose is to combat and prevent

infectious disease An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable di ...

congenital disorder A birth defect, also known as a congenital disorder, is an abnormal condition that is present at birth regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disabilities that may be physical, intellectual, or developmental. The disabilities ca ...

s, and threats from

weapons of mass destruction A weapon of mass destruction (WMD) is a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or any other weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to numerous individuals or cause great damage to artificial structures (e.g., buildings), natu ...

History

Founded in 1902 in the barracks of the Artillerivej road, it has now expanded to much more than its original size and is now one of Denmark's largest research institutions in the health sector. 20% of sales are used on Research and Development and Danish and International funds contribute around 100 million DKK. Administratively, the State Serum Institute sorts under the Danish Ministry of Health and Prevention under minister of health. Virologist Herdis von Magnus headed the Institute's enterovirus department in 1955 and led the development and distribution of the polio vaccine in Denmark. The

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

and CEO of the institute has since 1998 been Niels Strandberg Pedersen. The Department of

Epidemiology Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population. It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evide ...

plays a large role in the surveillance and tracking of

outbreaks in Denmark allowing for comprehensive monitoring of Danish public health. Apart from research into

epidemiology Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population. It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evide ...

and disease prevention, the institute also develops and produces

vaccine A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious or malignant disease. The safety and effectiveness of vaccines has been widely studied and verified.

s, and is an integral part of the Danish ABC-preparedness operation. The institute has successfully produced the vaccines:

BCG vaccine Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine is a vaccine primarily used against tuberculosis (TB). It is named after its inventors Albert Calmette and Camille Guérin. In countries where tuberculosis or leprosy is common, one dose is recommended ...

Danish Strain 1331 against

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...

, diTeBooster for revaccination, and VeroPol which is an inactivated poliomyelitis virus vaccine(IPV) that produces antibodies after primary vaccination for

poliovirus A poliovirus, the causative agent of polio (also known as poliomyelitis), is a serotype of the species '' Enterovirus C'', in the family of ''Picornaviridae''. There are three poliovirus serotypes: types 1, 2, and 3. Poliovirus is composed of a ...

1, 2, and 3. Apart from work in Denmark, Statens Serum Institut is also involved in health promotion and monitoring in

Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Bissau ( ; pt, Guiné-Bissau; ff, italic=no, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫 𞤄𞤭𞤧𞤢𞥄𞤱𞤮, Gine-Bisaawo, script=Adlm; Mandinka: ''Gine-Bisawo''), officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau ( pt, República da Guiné-Bissau, links=no ), ...

, as maintained by the Bandim Health Project. Mainly doctors,

pharmaconomist In Denmark (including Greenland and Faroe Islands), pharmaconomists ( da, farmakonom) are experts in pharmaceuticals ( da, lægemiddelkyndig) who have trained with a 3-year tertiary degree. Pharmaconomy ( da, farmakonomi) describes either their p ...

s (expert in pharmaceuticals) and pharmacists work at the National Serum Institute. A total of 385 people at SSI are engaged in research. SSI contributes each year over 30 master students and 10-15 PhDs. In 2009, the institute made 326 publications, 279 of which had an impact factor. 74 of these publications were related to topics of

; an area of study that the institute is focusing on in preparation for new resistant strain emergence due to antibiotic resistance. SSI has transferred its vaccine production business to AJ Vaccines. AJ Vaccines will continue to produce vaccines on SSI's facility. SSI, under the auspices of the Ministry of Health and Prevention, will continue to be responsible for ensuring the supply of vaccines to the Danish vaccination programmes.

References

External links

* {{authority control Government of Denmark Medical research institutes in Denmark Research institutes established in 1902 1902 establishments in Denmark