Australians could have access to a Covid-19 vaccine from March, as per the government.
Health Minister Greg Hunt told The Herald Sun that vaccine manufacturer CSL is expected to begin manufacturing the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine from November.
AstraZeneca, the U.K. drugmaker developing a coronavirus vaccine with the University of Oxford is among the front-runners in the global quest for a vaccine, along with developers such as Pfizer, J&J and Moderna. Earlier clinical trials of the AstraZeneca vaccine had been paused after receiving concerns about a volunteer who became ill – however, U.S. regulators to have since given a green light to the company to restar trials.
The Australian government is also looking to purchase two more Covid-19 vaccines in addition to the AstraZeneca and University of Queensland vaccines to boost vaccination access to its people.
According to the health minister, the government will priortise healthcare workers and other vulnerable categories in the first phase which is expected to begin from March. In its second phase, the vaccine will be provided to other essential workers.
Others would receive access to the vaccine in the coming months. Australia plans to make the vaccination widely available for its citizens by the end of 2021 – around the same time it expects to open its borders to non-citizens/PR holders.
