Vaccine by January — Aust PM

SYDNEY: Australia expects to receive its first batches of a potential Covid19 vaccine in January, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said yesterday, as the number of new daily infections in the country’s virus hotspot fell to a 10week low.

Morrison said his Government had struck a deal with CSL Ltd to manufacture two vaccines — one developed by rival AstraZeneca and Oxford University, and another developed in CSL’s own labs with the University of Queensland.

‘‘Australia needs some hope,’’ Morrison said.

‘‘Today, we take another significant step to protect the health of Australians against the coronavirus pandemic.’’

Health Minister Greg Hunt said scientists had advised recent evidence suggested both vaccines would offer ‘‘multiyear protection’’.

Morrison said CSL was expected to deliver 3.8 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, undergoing latestage clinical trials in Britain, Brazil and South Africa, in January and February next year.

AstraZeneca’s AZD1222 is viewed as a frontrunner in the global race to deliver an effective vaccine to combat the virus.

The CSL vaccine is due to begin secondstage clinical trials late this year, meaning the earliest it could hit the market would be mid2021.

Should both vaccines pass clinical trials, Australia will spend $A1.7 billion ($NZ1.85 billion) for a total of nearly 85 million doses, Morrison said.

Australia yesterday reported its lowest oneday rise in new Covid19 cases since June 26, with 45 infections in the previous 24 hours, 41 of which were in Victoria.