Gain-of-function research: ‘Useless, unless you’re making weapons.’

Is it a good idea for scientists to experiment with deadly pathogens to try and make them deadlier in order to create a vaccine to “protect” us from the pathogen they just created?

Seems like the easier and less expensive way to protect public health is by not experimenting with that pathogen at all in the first place…

But that would make too much sense.