If either of the two candidates prove successful, vaccines could be available for free as early as next year - but it won't be made mandatory.
Highlights
- once successful, free COVID-19 vaccine will be available progressively throughout 2021 in Australia
- More than 95% of the vaccine doses will be manufactured in Melbourne
- Australian church leaders have raised objections to the University of Oxford's COVID-19 vaccine
The two deals secure almost 85-million doses - 33.8 million for the Oxford University / AstraZeneca vaccine and 51 million doses of the University of Queensland / CSL vaccine.
The Health Minister Greg Hunt says the free vaccinations would require two doses ... but it's full efficacy is not yet determined.
"Both are leading vaccines globally and we are fortunate to have secured them and able to produce them here in Australia – the best advice we have and its not determined yet - is that there is likely to be multiyear protection. Nobody can say whether it will be lifetime"
Infectious disease expert Sanjaya Senanayake says while both trials are in advanced stages and showing promising signs - there are no guarantees they will work.
The prospect of a vaccine may bring optimism for many Australians, but it's also a source of anxiety for some religious communities.
Last month, some religious leaders expressed apprehension about the Oxford vaccine because it relies on cell lines from an electively aborted foetus.
The Health Minister says he’ll be meeting with multicultural groups this week to discuss the matter.
