COVID-19 has exposed a sovereign vulnerability that Australia must urgently fix. We don’t have the manufacturing capability to make lifesaving drugs relied upon by millions of Australians every day, including the mass production of vaccines.

The recent announcement of a partnership between Moderna and the Australian and Victorian governments, is an important step in ensuring sovereign capability in manufacturing a COVID-19 vaccine in Australia. It will also create mRNA vaccine facilities that can be applied to other health challenges. The total cost of the new facility is rumoured to be around $2 billion.