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By Colin Packham
SYDNEY, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Australia has signed a deal with
drugmaker AstraZeneca to secure a potential COVID-19
vaccine, the Prime Minister said on Tuesday, joining a growing
list of countries lining up supplies of the drug.
AstraZeneca’s candidate is seen as a frontrunner in the
global race to deliver an effective vaccine against the
coronavirus that has killed more than 770,000 people and
infected nearly 22 million, according to a Reuters tally.
With several countries moving to secure supplies that some
fear may lead to a global shortage, Australia said it had signed
a letter of intent with AstraZeneca to produce and distribute
enough doses for its population.
"Under this deal we have secured early access for every
Australian," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in an emailed
statement.
"If this vaccine proves successful we will manufacture and
supply vaccines straight away under our own steam and make it
free for 25 million Australians."
Countries around the world are looking to secure supplies of
Astrazeneca's potential vaccine. Most recently Argentina and
Mexico said last week they would produce it for much of Latin
America.
Morrison, however, cautioned that while AstraZeneca's
candidate is showing early promise, there was no guarantee it
would materialise as an effective tool in preventing COVID-19.
Once heralded as a global leader in combating COVID-19,
Australia has seen a surge of new infections in the past month.
Yet its tally of nearly 24,000 cases and 438 deaths is still far
fewer than many other developed nations.
Morrison said Australia is also committed to ensuring early
access to a vaccine for Pacific countries, which are
increasingly wooed by China, much to Canberra's concern.
Earlier, Australia's biggest biotech company CSL Ltd
said it was in talks with AstraZeneca to determine if
the potential COVID-19 vaccine being developed by the British
drugmaker could be manufactured locally.
In addition to pressing ahead with securing a potential
vaccine, Australia said it had also signed a A$24.7 million
($17.9 million) deal with U.S. medical technology company Becton
Dickinson to buy 100 million needles and syringes.
($1 = 1.3824 Australian dollars)
(Reporting by Colin Packham
Editing by David Holmes)
