Coronavirus: Australia will manufacture vaccine and give it free to citizens, PM says
- Scott Morrison said Australia had reached a deal with Swedish-British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to receive vaccine being developed with Oxford University
- The Oxford vaccine is one of five globally in Phase 3 efficacy trials, and researchers hope to have results by the end of the year
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia had reached a deal with Swedish-British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to receive the Covid-19 vaccine it is developing with Oxford University.
“The Oxford vaccine is one of the most advanced and promising in the world, and under this deal we have secured early access for every Australian,” he said. “If this vaccine proves successful we will manufacture and supply vaccines straight away under our own steam and make it free for 25 million Australians.”
The Oxford vaccine is one of five globally in Phase 3 efficacy trials, and researchers hope to have results by the end of the year.
It is the first such deal for Australia, and Morrison said his government was also in talks with “many parties around the world” over other potential vaccines as well as supporting local scientists in their efforts.
The country is yet to reach a final agreement with AstraZeneca on the cost of the vaccine and a local manufacturer has not been locked in.
However, Australia has signed an A$25 million (US$18 million) agreement with American medical technology company Becton Dickinson to buy 100 million needles and syringes to administer the doses.