Govt injects $37m into search for vaccine

The Government is pumping $37 million into a Covid-19 vaccine strategy that will enable local manufacturing and international lobbying, to ensure New Zealand and the Pacific Islands get a fair share when one is developed.

But director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield has warned people not to get their hopes up about seeing it any time soon.

He had heard British reports on a vaccine being available by September but that did not present enough time to safely develop, test and then manufacture and make public, he said

‘‘All the best estimates are that it will be longer than that.’’

He said officials believed a vaccine could be available in the next 12 to 18 months but even that would be an ‘‘exceedingly rapid amount of time,’’ he said.

‘‘That’s what everyone is looking at now, and we watching with interest.’’

It was clear that there was huge global resource going into it and if countries combined both technology and brainpower, real progress could be made, he said.

‘‘We will all hope it is within 12-18 months, if it is soon that will be a bonus, but we should not expect anything within 12 to 18 months.’’

Health officials were starting to look at what a roll out of the vaccine might look like, he said. are all

He suggested that a specific workforce would be trained to do it in a very short period of time.

The Government expected a global manufacture and supply shortage, and believed the best insurance against inadequate supply was the ability to manufacture in New Zealand, so $5m has been set aside for that.

The overall strategy aimed to secure a vaccine – safe, effective and in sufficient quantities – at the earliest possible time and allow New Zealand scientists to

contribute to global research efforts and explore the potential of local manufacturing capability.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said it was not just about a vaccine – a successful treatment as well as accurate, quick testing would also be critical.

The Government stated it would pull out all the stops to advance discovery, development, testing and supply of a Covid-19 vaccine.

‘‘A vaccine would be a game changer for the world and it is important that New Zealand has a stake in development and manufacturing,’’ Ardern said.

It comes as Kiwis are being warned they could be among the last citizens in the world to get the coronavirus vaccine, as scientists scramble to develop a homegrown candidate.

Experts told Stuff this week that under most scenarios it will be a ‘‘long way’’ before a vaccine makes it to New Zealand shores, with growing nationalism overseas fuelling a reluctance among leaders to share vaccines beyond their borders.

Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods said the predicted global manufacture and supply shortage was the absolute basis of the strategy.

The key was to ensure investment in those capabilities and look for licensing opportunities, she said.

‘‘Our best insurance against not having adequate supply, is the ability to manufacture in New Zealand.’’

‘‘It is important that New Zealand has a stake in development and manufacturing.’’ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern