Acting Premier James Merlino said the funds would help establish a facility able to manufacture coronavirus vaccines, such as those produced by Pfizer, in Melbourne. Photo: ReutersAustralia could become the first country in the southern hemisphere to manufacture mRNA coronavirus vaccines, with the Victorian government committing $50 million to the project. Acting Premier James Merlino said the funds would help establish a facility able to manufacture coronavirus vaccines, such as those produced by Pfizer and Moderna, in Melbourne. He said mRNA vaccines, which contain genetic code from a virus rather than the virus itself, are highly effective and can be manufactured quickly, cheaply and safely. Australia has relied heavily on the AstraZeneca vaccine, which it has been producing domestically at CSL in Melbourne.

Source: Otago Daily Times April 21, 2021 08:37 UTC