The risks of vaccine research and development(R&D) are the basic elements and ethical limits for R&D's evaluation, and have become an important issue that needs to be considered urgently after the outbreak of major public health events. Human's cognitive limitation in vaccine science, the negative value of vaccine technology alienation and the boundedness of scientific and technological innovation governance system are the significant reasons resulting in these risks. In order to strengthen risks governance and promote vaccine R&D, the government is expected to advance institutional innovation and improve governance capacities via intensifying the strategic planning of the national vaccine reserve, perfecting the laws and regulations for guiding vaccine R&D, and beautifying vaccine supervision and inter-ministerial coordination mechanisms; the scientific community is expected to carry forward the scientific spirit and adhere to responsible innovation to enhance speech power with institutionalized consultation and dialogue mechanism; the public is expected to actively participate in to give full play to the support, supervision and feedback of NGO, media and volunteer subjects for vaccine R&D.