The Switzer Report’s peterswitzer says the government locking in vaccine supply is “a big game changer” for Australia.
The Switzer Report’s Peter Switzer says the government locking in vaccine supply is “a big game changer” for Australia. The federal government announced it secured a promising vaccine being developed at Oxford University after brokering a deal with a UK-based drug company. Prime Minister Scott Morrison vowed every Australian would gain "early access" to the drug for free should trials prove successful.
“The only way this economy will get back to normal is when we are able to say there is a vaccine,” Mr Switzer told Sky News. “And therefore states can open up the borders and we can at least travel around the country. “It’s a job saver, a business saver and an economy saver.” The agreement with pharma-giant AstraZeneca would see the vaccine likely manufactured in Australia by Melbourne-based biotech business CSL.
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Australia secures promising UK coronavirus vaccine | Sky News AustraliaThe federal government has secured a promising vaccine being developed at Oxford University after brokering a deal with a UK-based drug company.\n\nPrime Minister Scott Morrison vowed every Australian would gain 'early access' to the drug for free should trials prove successful.\n\n“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,” Mr Morrison said.\n\n“However, there is no guarantee that this, or any other, vaccine will be successful, which is why we are continuing our discussions with many parties around the world while backing our own researchers at the same time to find a vaccine.”\n\nThe agreement with pharma-giant AstraZeneca would see the vaccine likely manufactured in Australia by Melbourne-based biotech business CSL.\n\nA separate $24.5 million contract was also signed for 100 million needles and syringes while distribution, timing and purchase price for the drug itself are yet to be disclosed.\n\nIn Australia, the University of Queensland was in phase one in the development of its most promising vaccine as the government worked on building a portfolio of vaccine investment should the Oxford trials fail.\n\nThe government also canvassed the possibility of distributing vaccines to other Pacific Island nations as a gesture of goodwill.\n\nUp to 167 possible vaccines are under development globally.\n\nImage: Getty\n\n
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Australia signs deal to secure nationwide supply of Oxford coronavirus vaccine if trials are successfulThe federal government has signed a letter of intent to secure a nationwide supply of a COVID-19 vaccine currently under Oxford University trials.
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Australia signs agreement with Oxford to guarantee supply of potential COVID-19 vaccineIf the potential COVID-19 vaccine being trialled by Oxford University passes testing, every Australian will have access to it as part of a new deal struck by the Federal Government.
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Australians should be 'optimistic, but realistic' about a COVID vaccine | Sky News AustraliaAustralian National University’s Professor Peter Collignon says he is optimistic a COVID-19 vaccine can be produced soon, but “that doesn’t mean it’s actually, definitely going to happen.”\n\nHis comments come after Health Minister Greg Hunt said he was “genuinely more optimistic” the world was moving closer to a vaccine based on medical advice. \n\n“I’m optimistic as well, but that doesn’t mean it’s actually definitely going to happen,” Mr Collignon said. \n\n“Realistically, we’re not going to have data from the most advanced vaccine, which is the Oxford one, until probably the end of this year because you need tens of thousands of people recruited and then followed up for a period of time, and that’s in Brazil, South Africa and England.\n\n“The middle of next year is the earliest we’re going to have a vaccine available for millions of people in this country and even more realistically, the end of the year.\n\n“And if we want to stop having to have restrictions, we need a vaccine also that’s 90 per cent effective, and that’s not a given either.\n\n“So yes I’m optimistic, but we’ve got to be realistic, this is going to take a while and we may not get the level of efficacy we actually need … if we want to eliminate a virus, which is a really hard task.” \n\nImage: Getty
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Australia must get used to 'living with COVID-19' | Sky News AustraliaIt is becoming increasingly clear that state premiers are realizing that until a viable vaccine is available, the country will have to get used to living with COVID-19, according to Sky News host Chris Kenny.\n\nVictorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced a further 25 deaths and 282 new COVID-19 cases, taking the nation’s death toll to 421.\n\nOf the new deaths, 22 are linked to aged care facilities.\n\n“The overwhelming majority of deaths still are from aged care facilities, so this remains the real problem, it would hardly matter if there were thousands of community infections and we could keep the disease out of aged care homes,” Mr Kenny said.\n\n“The vast majority of infections are mild.\n\n“The question for Melbourne is how long their severe lockdowns and onerous curfew can last…this is the question that we've been asking all along….what is the cost benefit analysis and aren't we just delaying the inevitable hard decisions about how to live with the virus.”\n\nMr Kenny said Premier Andrews is beginning to “wake up” that COVID-19 may be endemic within the community.\n\n“The disease is the new normal, curfews and lockdowns can't be the new normal,” Mr Kenny said.\n\n“Of course we have to keep the pandemic in check, of course we have to protect the vulnerable and slow the spread as much as we reasonably can.\n\n“But we have to keep perspective about what is possible and practical.”
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Latest & Breaking News Melbourne, Victoria | The AgeThe Age has the latest local news on Melbourne, Victoria. Read National News from Australia, World News, Business News and Breaking News stories.
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