Covid vaccine for all

ALL Australians will be able to access any COVID-19 vaccine free of charge under a national rollout, Health Minister Greg Hunt has revealed, saying it is increasingly likely that several vaccines will be developed.

Mr Hunt said it remained unlikely a vaccine would be developed this year, but there was now a “ray of hope” that one could be produced.

“For the first time I am cautiously but realistically optimistic about the search for and ability to distribute a vaccine,” the minister said.

“It’s unlikely that it will be just one – it is likely that it will be many.”

Labor criticised the government for being too slow to act, saying 20 other countries had already secured deals with vaccine suppliers.

It follows reports on Sunday that Australia was just days away from securing a deal to produce one in Australia.

Mr Hunt said Australia had signed two non-disclosure agreements with companies and was “in one of the best positions of any country in the world”.

He said his renewed optimism came from advice from the acting chief medical officer, as well as other health experts, about the data coming out of the research around the world.

“We are now far more likely than not to have genuine vaccines available,” he said.

There remain questions on whether it will be a full vaccine, like those that eradicated smallpox, or a partial vaccine like flu shots.

But the Health Minister confirmed that should a vaccine be found, it would be federally funded so all Australians could access it without being out of pocket.

“Our goal is really simple. A nationally funded, whole-ofpopulation vaccine,” he said.

He said next year was the most likely time frame for a vaccine to become available.

“All our advice has been 2021 is the most likely,” Mr Hunt said.

“If anything occurs before, then that would be an outstanding result not just for Australia, but for the world.”

Opposition health spokesman Chris Bowen questioned claims Australia was “in one of the best positions” to secure a vaccine early.

“There are 20 such agreements around the world already in place which have accounted for approximately 3 billion doses of the vaccine. So Australia comes to this very late,” he said.

“A vaccine does not save lives. Vaccinations save lives and we need, when the vaccine is proven and available, for Australians to have access to that vaccine.

“We need at least 60 per cent of the population to be vaccinated as soon as possible and, in due course, every Australian to be vaccinated for COVID-19.”