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Australia’s COVID jab setback could mean residents are vaccinated faster after the government swiftly ordered millions of other potential doses in late-stage trials.
The University of Queensland had been developing the vaccine in partnership with pharmaceutical company CSL and the government had ordered 51 million doses.
But those plans have been abruptly halted over fears the false results could damage the public’s confidence in the COVID-19 vaccination program.
The government was left scrambling to make up the shortfall, adding a further 20 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which manufacturer CSL began producing last month.
The move could mean the doses are rolled out sooner than the government had planned as this vaccine is already in production – as opposed to Queensland’s which was still in first stage trials.
The government was left scrambling to make up the shortfall, adding a further 20 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which manufacturer CSL began producing last month (Pictured: an AstraZeneca researcher)
The move could mean the doses are rolled out sooner than the government had planned as UQ’s vaccine was not yet in proper production (pictured, AstraZeneca vaccine)
The company producing both vaccines would have had to halt its production of the AstraZeneca vaccine to make way for the UQ product, the Courier Mail reported.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the UQ vaccine was also more difficult to manufacture.
The first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine are planned to be distributed early next year meaning travel fans could be holidaying sooner than expected.
It is already on offer in the UK and just got approval in Canada, having been shown to be perfectly safe and 95 per cent effective at battling the virus.
Mr Morrison has signalled foreign travel would likely be off the cards until the vaccine is rolled-out.
The prime minister has also revealed international travellers flying to Australia without proof of a vaccine could be forced into hotel quarantine – at their own expense.
‘Where people have the choice of two weeks of quarantine or being vaccinated, I think that will be an incentive,’ he said in November.
The jab will first be handed to health workers and the vulnerable, such as the elderly and Indigenous Australians. Children are not classed as vulnerable and will not be prioritised.
Until the vaccination is rolled out, which is likely to begin in March, social distancing may have to remain to ensure a massive outbreak does not occur.
The government extended its ban on international travel on Wednesday (pictured: Passengers waiting to board a flight from Melbourne to Sydney on November 23)
Australians will likely be stuck in the country, unable to holiday overseas, until the vaccine has been rolled out across the country (pictured, an traveller is seen carrying their luggage off the bus as they enter hotel quarantine in Melbourne on Monday)
Mr Morrison revealed on Friday he urgently ordered more of two other vaccines currently in late-stage trials.
The government secured an extra 20 million doses of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine, taking the total to 53.8 million, and an extra 11 million doses of the Novavax vaccine, taking the total doses of that jab to 51 million.
The government has also secured a deal for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which is proven to be safe in clinical trials, and is now being given to members of the public in Britain.
Mr Morrison previously said Australia was in no rush because the Covid-19 situation in Australia is ‘very stable’ with only a handful of cases.
‘In Australia, we are in a very strong position and that enables us to get this right,’ he said on Friday morning.
The government extended its ban on international travel on Wednesday after health chiefs deemed COVID-19 a significant public health risk internationally due to the rapid spread of the virus in many other countries.
Borders were slammed shut to all non-residents on March 20 to stop the virus spreading from overseas, and will now remain closed until at least March 2021.
The University of Queensland had been developing the vaccine in partnership with pharmaceutical company CSL – and the government had ordered 51 million doses (Pictured: A scientist at the university working on the vaccine earlier this year)
The government has secured deals for 134.8 million doses from three other vaccine developers, the Pfizer /BioNTech vaccine, which is proven to be safe in clinical trials, and is now being given to members of the public in Britain
Australians are only be able to leave the country with specific exemptions.
Cruise ships have been banned since the Ruby Princess disaster in NSW, which resulted in almost 900 infections and 28 deaths.
The battered cruise and travel industries are bound to be unhappy with the extension.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said the disease was continuing to spread overseas at a rapid rate.
‘The international world remains a challenging and dangerous environment and Australia won’t be fully safe until the international community is safe.
‘The risks abroad are enormous, and if we don’t maintain these important protections, then we won’t be protecting Australians.’
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