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- Australia is set to be one of the first nations in the world to receive a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, according to Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt
- The Minister said in a press conference this afternoon Australia has secured 84.8 million vaccine doses through deals with Oxford University and the University of Queensland
- Australian biotech giant CSL will produce most of the vaccines
- The Federal Government will also buy 51 million doses of CSL’s own vaccine if it proves successful in clinical trials
- Altogether, the deals will cost around $1.7 billion
- The vaccine news comes just one day after Victoria’s Stage Four lockdown restrictions were extended by two weeks
Australia is set to be one of the first nations in the world to receive a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, according to Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt.
The Minister said in a press conference with Prime Minister Scott Morrison this afternoon Australia has secured 84.8 million vaccine doses through deals with Oxford University and the University of Queensland (UQ).
The combined deals will cost the government around $1.7 billion. Under the deals, Australia has the right to donate or sell the vaccines on without marking up the price if they both prove successful.
The $1.7 billion deals
Australia will receive some 33.8 million doses of a vaccine being made in partnership with Oxford and European biotech giant AstraZeneca.
Australia’s own biotech darling, CSL, will be creating most of the vaccines, with just 3.8 million units to be imported in the first quarter of next year.
Health Minister Greg Hunt touted the Oxford vaccine’s strong antibody and T-cell responses and “outstanding safety outcomes.”
“This is one of the world’s most prospective vaccines and one of the world’s most advanced vaccines,” the Minister said.
“We’ve been very fortunate because of our sovereign manufacturing capability to have early access and to have broad access here in Australia,” he said.
The Federal Government revealed the plans to buy the vaccines last month, but doubt was cast upon the deal when CSL said it would be prioritising its own vaccine, which is being made in a partnership with UQ, over developing someone else’s.
Nevertheless, the government overcame the roadblock by agreeing to buy 51 million doses of CSL’s vaccine if clinical trials prove successful.
The Health Minister said the vaccine would likely require two shots per person — an initial injection followed by a booster one month later.
He said while the vaccine will not be mandatory, the government would like as many Australians as possible to immunize themselves.
Prolonged lockdowns
The vaccine news comes soon after Victorian Premier Dan Andrews announced the state government would extend its stage four lockdown measures for another two weeks.
Despite facing criticism from the Federal Government, the Victorian Premier was resolute in his decision, saying he’s following the best available health advice and data modelling.
He said reopening the state and its economy is simply “not an option” at this point in time.
According to the new restriction roadmap, stage four lockdowns will stay in place until September 28 before gradually easing so long as the average COVID-19 daily case rate stays between 30 and 50 cases over the previous 14 days.
