Injecting Hope: The Race for a COVID-19 Vaccine

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An exhibition telling the story of the global effort to develop a COVID-19 vaccine will open at the National Museum of Scotland in January.  

Injecting Hope: The Race for a COVID-19 Vaccine explores the scientific principles and adaptation of innovative research behind this extraordinary endeavour. It looks at the UK-wide, behind-the-scenes work that accompanied the vaccines’ rapid development, production, transport and delivery and examines the sheer logistical challenges behind the worldwide rollout. 

Revealing the inspiring stories of scientists and innovators collaborating around the globe to find solutions and save lives, the exhibition will show how these people have shaped the world we live in today.  

Showcasing more than 100 objects and stories that were collected during the peak of the pandemic, it features artworks, interactives, and personal objects examining everything from the virus itself to the work done behind the scenes by volunteers and researchers to make huge innovations possible. 

Highlights include the vial of the first COVID-19 vaccine to be administered worldwide, notebooks used by June Almeida, the Scottish scientist who discovered coronavirus in 1966 and artworks interpreting the story of the pandemic by artists including Luke Jerram, Angela Palmer and Junko Mori. New content created for the exhibition’s Scottish run will explore some of the uniquely Scottish experiences of the pandemic. 

Sophie Goggins, Senior Curator of Biomedical Science at National Museums Scotland said: 

“The development and rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in record time is one of the greatest collaborative human achievements in recent memory. This exhibition tells the story of just how this extraordinary feat came to be; from the scientific breakthroughs which led to the creation of the vaccine to the countless individuals who helped to roll it out around the globe.” 

Injecting Hope is presented by the Science Museum Group (SMG). It comes to the National Museum of Scotland as part of a national and international tour following its inaugural run at the Science Museum in London. It forms part of a project with the National Council of Science Museums in India and the Guangdong Science Center in China, which, alongside the Science Museum, opened exhibitions in November 2022. 

Injecting Hope builds on the work SMG has undertaken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including its COVID-19 collecting project, hosting NHS vaccination centres within its museums and public engagement events and materials.   

The Injecting Hope project, including the international tour and UK national tour, has been generously supported by Wellcome. The Huo Family Foundation is kindly supporting the national tour of the exhibition.