The Victorian government is providing $50 million to “kick-start” domestic manufacturing of mRNA vaccine technology.
It will take at least 12 months for any mRNA vaccines to be made in Australia, acting Premier James Merlino said as he made the announcement.
The move paves the way for mRNA vaccines to be produced in Australia for the first time.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use the mRNA technology, which had never been used for inoculations before the COVID-19 pandemic.
It will be a collaborative project with Monash University and Melbourne University, along with the Doherty Institute and other research centres.
When it is established, it will be the first mRNA production facility in the southern hemisphere. No location for the facility has been set yet.
Mr Merlino said it was a “significant announcement, not just for Victoria but for the rest of the nation”.
Australia currently only has the ability to manufacture the AstraZeneca vaccine domestically, with initial plans for the CSL facility to make more than 50 million doses.
But with a very rare blood clotting disorder linked to the AstraZeneca jab, the country’s vaccine advisory group has recommended people under the age of 50 get a different dose.
It has thrown the country’s vaccine rollout into disarray as the nation scrambles to secure more supply from other manufacturers.
-more to come
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