Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

In this year's budget and the work that is being done by the minister for industry we are establishing the capability, together with other states and territories, who are working to the same end, to establish an mRNA vaccine manufacturing capability in Australia. It is important not just for the COVID pandemic, which we anticipate will extend for some considerable period of time—not for six months but for some time to come. What has also been demonstrated through the COVID pandemic is the efficacy of mRNA vaccines, which 18 months ago was unthinkable. Now they have proven through the course of the pandemic to be an essential part of the future of vaccines in this country.

The Australian government took the decision to support the manufacture of the AstraZeneca vaccine here in Australia in August of last year. That has been a vital decision that has ensured that vaccinations have been available, particularly over the course of these early months of the vaccine rollout. More than 4.6 million doses have now been administered to Australians around the country, a million doses in the last 10 days. That would not have been possible were it not for the government taking the decision to support the manufacture of AstraZeneca vaccines here in this country. There would not have been a vaccination program in the last several months were it not for that decision taken last August. Similarly, in that context, we have moved forward on the issue of mRNA manufacturing. I'll pass over to the minister for industry to comment further.

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