Shot in the arm: Morrison seals deal for Moderna vaccine hub
Australia will get a manufacturing hub for mRNA vaccines as part of a multi-billion dollar agreement with pharmaceutical giant Moderna.
The announcement comes as the countryās leading vaccine advisory group is set to hand down its advice on whether a fourth dose will be needed for vulnerable people.
The research and development hub will be based in Victoria at a location yet to be decided, and serve as the headquarters for the companyās operations in Australia, Southeast Asia and Oceania.
The hub will be the first of its type in the southern hemisphere, with construction to begin by the end of the year.
Production at the site is expected to start from 2024.
While the facility will manufacture Covid-19 vaccines, it will also focus on other respiratory illnesses, including seasonal flu and respiratory syncytial virus.
The manufacturing hub is expected to produce about 100 million mRNA vaccines annually.
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison called the facility a āshot in the armā to help protect Australians from future pandemics.
āWhat weāre announcing today is absolutely essential for future pandemic preparedness, and weāre already ranked number two in the world on pandemic preparedness,ā he told reporters in Melbourne.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said the facility could potentially produce a combined Covid-19 and flu vaccine.
āModerna has looked around the world and they partnered with Australia, and we have partnered with them,ā he said.
āmRNA isnāt just about Covid, it isnāt just about vaccines, itās also about the precision medicines of the future so we can literally tailor the treatments for individuals over the course of the next decade.ā
Mr Hunt said he expected to receive advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation on Thursday.
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It is expected the advice will recommend a fourth dose of a Covid-19 vaccine for people aged over 65, as well as people who are immunocompromised.
The Doherty Institute, which will be part of the manufacturing program, welcomed news of the Moderna deal.
The instituteās director Professor Sharon Lewin said access to the facility would be invaluable.
āWe have seen with the Covid-19 pandemic the importance of being able to quickly create and deliver an effective vaccine,ā she said.
āBy applying Modernaās mRNA technology, there are opportunities to revolutionise our approach to developing both vaccines and therapeutics.ā
The chief executive of Moderna Michael Azrak said the hub would help create pandemic resilience.
āYesterday, itās Covid, but tomorrow it will be influenza ā¦ and other respiratory viruses into the future,ā he said.
āTodayās agreement will ensure Australians will be manufacturing respiratory vaccines right here in Melbourne.ā
LATEST 24-HOUR COVID-19 DATA FROM ACROSS AUSTRALIA:
NSW: 24,803 cases, eight deaths, 1180 in hospital
VIC: 10,259 new cases, 11 deaths, 244 in hospital including 25 in ICU
TAS: 2009 new cases, one death and 28 people in hospital
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