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Backtracking on his earlier suggestion to make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for all, the Australian prime minister has clarified, “There are no compulsory vaccines in Australia,” and that there will be “no compulsory vaccine, but there will be a lot of encouragement and measures to get as high a rate of acceptance as usual”. Visitors to the country, as well as returning Aussies, may, however, require to be immunized.
The government has signed a letter of intent with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and Oxford University, which has reached Phase 3 clinical trials. Provided that the trials are successful, the prime minister hoped the vaccine would be available early in 2021 and that, “we will manufacture and supply vaccines straight away under our own steam and make it free for 25 million Australians.” He added that the country would aim for 95% of the population to be vaccinated.
The Australian government has also signed a deal worth A$25m with US pharmaceutical company Becton
Dickinson to supply 100 million needles and syringes.
Ref: BBC News, August 17, 2020, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-53840086
