“It is either an absurd plan or he doesn’t understand how long it takes to implement that element of what he is talking about,” he said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on FridayCredit:Janie Barrett
The government hasn’t outlined a concrete timetable for opening up, although its budget was based on the assumption international travel would resume in mid-2022. National cabinet’s latest reopening plan has four phases triggered by the proportion of the population vaccinated. Thursday was another record day for vaccinations, with 175,002 doses administered.
Industry Minister Christian Porter has said estimates of how long it will take to set up mRNA manufacturing range from six months to three years but the shorter timeframes are “exceedingly optimistic” and the most likely scenario is 12 to 18 months.
The new technology is used in Pfizer and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines and has the potential for a wide range of medical applications.
The government’s approach-to-market is in addition to its negotiations with Moderna to establish a manufacturing facility in Australia for its product. Based on deals the company has done with other countries including Singapore, the earliest this would likely be up and running is 2023.
Loading
Mr Porter said on Friday he had received “detailed and extensive” submissions from a range of consortia and businesses including CSL, which is currently making AstraZeneca vaccines in Australia using a different technology, and South Australian-based BioCina.
“There has been strong interest from industry in partnership with research and government partners to work with the Commonwealth government to establish mRNA manufacturing in Australia,” he said.
Pharmacists in metropolitan hotspots will be recruited to deliver jabs from next week, as reported in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age on Friday. The government expects a significant increase in the availability of Pfizer, with 1 million doses a week arriving from Monday.
National cabinet is working on ways to boost vaccination rates on weekends, with delivery needing to ramp up as more doses arrive in the country.
The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.