COVID-19 vaccine will be available in Australia early in Q3 of 2021: Health Minister

Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt, on November 13, said a potential COVID-19 vaccine could be available to all Australians in the third quarter of 2021. Speaking at a press briefing, Hunt said that the vaccine, which was being developed by the University of Queensland was ahead of schedule and was “doing its job”.

"Biotech firm CSL has completed the manufacturing of the vaccine candidate to allow the third stage of clinical trials to begin. That is an extraordinary development…. It means that this vaccine will potentially be available, subject to the results of those trials, for delivery to Australians early in the third quarter of 2021,” he said.

'Specially affective on elderly' 

In addendum, he revealed that the vaccine was particularly effective on the “elderly” adding that it was an “especially important outcome, given the global vulnerability to the elderly from COVID-19.  Stating that the ultimate goal of the Australian government was to ensure that all residents who seek to be vaccinated are vaccinated by the end of next year, he said that authorities have already signed a deal with the manufacturers of the potential vaccine. “CSL Limited has signed a deal to supply the Australian government with 51 million doses of the vaccine once it’s proved to be effective,” he said.

Read: COVID-19 Vaccine Will Not Be Available Before December: US Health Experts

Read: Measles Killed 207,500 People In 2019, Low Vaccine Coverage Main Reason For Deaths: WHO

This comes as health experts in America noted that it will take several weeks more to get the vaccine through the approval process. While speaking to CNN, Dr Larry Carey, who is leading the COVID-19 vaccine trails network in the US, said the Americans should not be hoping for any authorisation from the US FDA before the last half of December. Carey added that he thinks it will take around 10 days for the DA to review Pfizer’s clinical trial data. 

Dr Paul Offit, who is member of the committee and director of the Vaccine Education Centre at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, also agreed on the December timeline. Offit said that the FDA will have to seek the option of the advisory committee, which presumably would be some time early in December. Additionally, the FDA has also publicly schedule any VRBPAC meeting 15 days in advance, so that could slow things a little. 

Read: Israel To Sign Agreement To Procure 8 Million Pfizer Vaccine Doses, Supply Begins In Jan

Read: Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla Sold $5.6 Million In Stock On COVID-19 Vaccine Announcement Day

Image: AP