Australia to invite proposals for domestic production of mRNA vaccines

SYDNEY: Australia on Friday (May 21) will invite proposals from companies for establishing domestic manufacturing of mRNA vaccines to prepare the country for future pandemics and support long-term health needs, Industry Minister Christian Porter will say.

The federal government will seek interest from the market for two months starting on Friday while continuing talks with existing drug manufacturers, Porter will say, according to extracts of the announcement seen by Reuters.

"Through this approach to market, the (government) is establishing a partnership approach to making sure Australia has the opportunity to produce mRNA vaccines and other potential therapeutic products using this technology," Porter will say.

The messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines prompt the body to make a protein that is part of the virus, triggering an immune response. Pfizer and Moderna use mRNA technology in their COVID-19 vaccines.

READ: Australian doctors warn COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy makes citizens 'sitting ducks'

Australia uses Pfizer's vaccine, branded Comirnaty, to vaccinate people younger than 50 after authorities restricted the use of AstraZeneca vaccines, that use a different technology and are produced locally, to below-50s due to blood clot concerns.

Australian authorities last week said they were in talks with Moderna to establish domestic manufacturing of mRNA vaccines after agreeing to buy 25 million COVID-19 doses from the company.

Though Australia has fared much better than many other developed nations in containing the pandemic, with just under 30,000 cases and 910 deaths, the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out has missed its initial dosage targets.

The national immunisation drive has gathered pace recently with around a third of the 3.3 million doses administered given in the last three weeks. Australia's federal budget assumes vaccination of the country's 20 million adult population will be completed by the end of this year.

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