Health minister Greg Hunt now says Australia will gain access to a COVID-19 vaccine on a "commensurate timetable" to the US and UK, potentially making 2020 the new benchmark.
The federal government announced its COVID-19 vaccine and treatment strategy on 7 August. It has subsequently said it is in negotiations with several companies regarding advance purchase agreements of investigative vaccines and that CSL could manufacture the AstraZeneca-Oxford candidate at one of its facilities in Melbourne.
No deals have been announced and CSL is yet to even confirm it can repurpose the CSL Behring facility in Broadmeadows to produce the AstraZeneca-Oxford adenovirus viral vector vaccine.
The federal government's key advisory body on immunisation - ATAGI - has not even had a detailed discussion on COVID-19 vaccines. It will have a "high level discussion" at its meeting later this week.
The US has invested over US$10 billion in the accelerated development of six vaccines, advance purchase agreements and the up-scaling of manufacturing. It has also contracted a logistics company to distribute any approved vaccines.
The UK has invested and signed advance purchase agreements for five investigative vaccines, including the AstraZeneca-Oxford candidate.
The UK and US, as well as other countries that acted quickly on a vaccine, might question why if Australia is now able to secure access on a "commensurate timetable".
In media engagements on Sunday (15 August), Mr Hunt said 2021 was the most likely timeline for access to a vaccine.
However, he was asked during a media conference yesterday why Australians should wait until 2021 when researchers and companies have indicated a vaccine could be approved and made available in the US and UK as early as October.
"No. With respect, we're anticipating that we'll be able to deliver in Australia on a commensurate timetable to those of other countries," said Mr Hunt.
"We've been cautious in our projections, and I've always followed the best available medical advice on those projections.
"So, our delivery will be dependent on the science and the progress of the particular vaccines, the safety trials, the effectiveness work, the Stage 3 progress, and we'll be in a very strong position to be able to deliver for Australia when vaccines are shown to be safe and effective."
He added that "production and contracting" will not be barriers for the delivery of a vaccine in Australia
