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| Coronavirus vaccine: Australia promises free doses if trial succeeds | Coronavirus vaccine: Australia promises free doses if trial succeeds |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| Australia says it has secured access to a promising coronavirus vaccine and will be able to offer free doses to its entire population of 25 million people. | Australia says it has secured access to a promising coronavirus vaccine and will be able to offer free doses to its entire population of 25 million people. |
| The vaccine is being developed by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and Oxford University. | The vaccine is being developed by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and Oxford University. |
| If clinical trials are successful, the deal with AstraZeneca would secure "early access for every Australian", Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. | If clinical trials are successful, the deal with AstraZeneca would secure "early access for every Australian", Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. |
| Australia's death toll from the coronavirus stands at more than 400. | Australia's death toll from the coronavirus stands at more than 400. |
| Earlier this month, the state of Victoria declared a state of disaster and imposed strict lockdown measures after a surge in coronavirus infections. It still has more than 7,000 active cases and remains Australia's worst concern. | |
| The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is one of five promising candidates to reach an advanced stage of clinical trials, with countries around the world seeking to secure supplies for their own populations. | The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is one of five promising candidates to reach an advanced stage of clinical trials, with countries around the world seeking to secure supplies for their own populations. |
| "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," Mr Morrison said. | "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," Mr Morrison said. |
| The cost of supplying the vaccine to the whole population has not yet been fixed. Separately, Australia has also signed a deal worth A$25m (£13.5m; $18m) with Becton Dickinson, an American pharmaceutical company, to supply 100 million needles and syringes. | The cost of supplying the vaccine to the whole population has not yet been fixed. Separately, Australia has also signed a deal worth A$25m (£13.5m; $18m) with Becton Dickinson, an American pharmaceutical company, to supply 100 million needles and syringes. |
| The deal with AstraZeneca is the first such vaccine agreement that Australia has signed. | The deal with AstraZeneca is the first such vaccine agreement that Australia has signed. |