Melbourne is a logical pick for mRNA vaccine manufacturing

August 18, 2021 â€" 9.58pm

For good reason, much of Australia’s focus is on reaching the 70 and 80 per cent vaccination targets set by national cabinet based on advice from the Doherty Institute. All going well, and vaccine hesitancy not causing a major problem, most states should reach these targets by the end of the year. With enough people inoculated, the expected end to strict lockdowns would be welcomed.

But that will not be the end of the pandemic. Due to the highly infectious nature of the Delta variant, COVID-19 will continue to spread through the community, threatening the lives of the unvaccinated. And even when virtually everyone has either been vaccinated or infected, it is expected that COVID-19 will continue to be endemic, meaning it is likely to continue spreading, just with far fewer dire health implications.

mRNA vaccines could be produced in Melbourne within 18 months under a new proposal.Credit:Getty Images

But there are still many unknowns when it comes to COVID-19. That is why, long term, the efforts under way to develop domestic capacity to produce large quantities of mRNA vaccine are such an important step in ensuring Australia is prepared for what may happen down the track.

To bring mRNA technology and manufacturing capacity to Australia, the federal government, led by Industry Minister Christian Porter, is in talks with vaccine producers Pfizer and Moderna to license their technology to an Australian partner, similar to the deal AstraZeneca struck with biotech company CSL.

It is reported that up to a dozen local companies are vying to build facilities to manufacture the mRNA vaccine. Two strong candidates, CSL and fellow biotech company IDT, are proposing to use Melbourne as the base for its manufacture. Both companies are claiming they could start producing mRNA vaccines in the millions within 18 months, although on Wednesday CSL chief executive Paul Perreault conceded the company was unlikely to partner with Pfizer or Moderna to produce their products in Australia in the near term.

While the federal government has yet to give a timeline for an agreement, it is already finding itself falling behind. Moderna recently announced a deal with the Canadian government to locally manufacture its vaccines, and back in May BioNTech (which works with Pfizer to produce its vaccine) agreed to set up manufacturing in Singapore.

There is good reason for the rush to sign deals. Many developing countries have barely started vaccinating their populations, so demand for vaccines is not going to wane any time soon. There are also growing calls for booster shots for those who have already been inoculated, which will put further pressure on already stretched production capacity. And with little progress in the push for a World Trade Organisation waiver on intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines, these deals become all the more important.

There is also the worst-case scenario. If a new variant of the coronavirus were to appear that diminished the protection offered by current vaccines, many nations could be forced to consider re-vaccinating large numbers of people.

The Victorian government has already provided an initial investment of $50 million to establish mRNA vaccine production in the state, but it is relying on the federal government to ink a deal with a vaccine manufacturer. If a deal does go ahead, and it should, Melbourne is the most obvious location. As the state’s Lead Scientist, Amanda Caples, recently stated: “Victoria has invested over the long term in our biomedical infrastructure and skills base with the largest biomedical research ecosystem in Australia.”

This is a matter of urgency. The federal government’s failure to sign enough deals with vaccine manufacturers last year has had dire consequences this winter. With outbreaks spreading across the country, the race is on to reach higher levels of vaccination. The same mistakes cannot be made again. The local manufacturer of an mRNA vaccine will be an essential part of protecting Australians in the years to come, and Melbourne is more than up to the task.

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Since The Age was first published in 1854, the editorial team has believed it important to express a considered view on the issues of the day for readers, always putting the public interest first.

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