An mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility in Victoria is expected to produce up to 100 million doses a year under a 10-year agreement with pharmaceutical giant Moderna.
Health Minister Greg Hunt anticipates the facility, once up and running, could be used to develop a combined COVID-19 and flu vaccine.
Moderna expects the facility to be capable of producing up to 100 million doses a year. Australia is the first country in the world to reach an agreement with the company for onshore manufacturing.
Last year, the federal government reached an in-principle agreement with Moderna for the production of mRNA vaccines in Australia.
“Today, we have inked that deal,” Prime Minister Morrison told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday.
He described the deal as a “multibillion dollar spend”, but would not specify the cost citing commercial-in-confidence.
It comes as Australia hits a 95 per cent double-dose vaccination rate.
More detail about the mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility:
– Expected to create 500 direct construction jobs, plus hundreds of indirect jobs during the build
– When it’s up and running, facility to employ up to 200 staff
– This is expected to occur from 2024, pending regulatory and planning approvals
– Federal government says agreement worth “billions” while declining to detail the exact value because of commercial reasons
– Moderna says the facility represents a world-first agreement with a government for onshore vaccine manufacturing
– Facility will have the capacity to produce up to 100 million doses a year
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