Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a COVID-19 vaccine will be compulsory for all Australians once it becomes available.
News.com.au revealed that the Morrison Government has made a monumental agreement with drug giant AstraZeneca to manufacture one of the world’s most promising coronavirus vaccines currently being developed by researchers at Oxford University.
If given the green light in terms of safety, Morrison believes the agreement will ensure Australians will be one of the first countries on the world to secure the vaccine.
He also revealed that Australians could get vaccinated as soon as early next year.
When asked if the vaccine would be mandatory, Morrison told 3AW’s Neil Mitchell that it would be, saying it needed to reach at least 95 per cent of the population.
Morrison said the vaccine would be as “mandatory as you can possibly make it”.
“There are always exemptions for any vaccine on medical grounds but that should be the only basis,” the PM said.
“I mean we’re talking about a pandemic that has destroyed you know, the global economy and taken the lives of hundreds of thousands all around the world.”
A vaccine is the only way Australians can return to life as it was pre-COVID.
While Morrison admitted that more work needed to be done to prove if the vaccine was safe to use, he confirmed the government will fund the rollout of over 25 million doses to cover every Australian as soon as the drug is available.
“The Oxford vaccine is one of the most advanced and promising in the world, and under this deal we have secured early access for every Australian,” 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.
“However there is no guarantee that this, or any other, vaccine will be successful, which is why we are continuing our discussions with many parties around the world while backing our own researchers at the same time to find a vaccine.
It will be provided to all Australians free of charge.
