New vaccine facility a shot in the arm for Australians

Australia will be at the top of the vaccine queue for future pandemics as the new Melbourne facility opens. Video by AAP and Moderna

Transcript

00:00With the opening of today's Moderna facility here in Melbourne, we secure yet another tool

00:05in that toolkit for the next pandemic because unfortunately we do know there will be a next

00:11pandemic.

00:12This facility has the capacity to produce up to 100 million doses of locally made vaccine

00:18in a pandemic response scenario.

00:21It's a really major step forward to helping Australians be protected against future pandemics

00:27while supporting local industry.

00:30With this facility, Australia will be less dependent on imported mRNA vaccines during

00:35a pandemic.

00:36We'll be less vulnerable to the supply disruptions or delays caused by global events, a resurgence

00:42of COVID-19 infections or indeed a new different pandemic.

00:47This is the only mRNA manufacturing facility that will be found in the southern hemisphere

00:53and it means from end to end the research and the manufacturing capacity here.