AstraZeneca vaccine to be bottled in Melbourne in days

Millions of vials of locally produced AstraZeneca vaccines will soon roll off the line in Melbourne as CSL gets set to start bottling the life-saving liquid.

Life-saving vaccines will begin being bottled in Melbourne within days, as CSL works around the clock to deliver 2 million doses next month.

Millions of vials of the locally produced vaccine will come off the Parkville production line from late March.

The factory will swing into action on Monday, operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until all 50 million doses of the critical liquid are ready.

The first 2 million doses are expected to be delivered in late March.

Approval for the vaccine is expected within weeks.

Scott Morrison, who will visit the CSL site on Friday, said Australia’s vaccine manufacturing capacity was an important protection against global supply chain issues.

“We are one of very few countries that have been able to leverage our sovereign manufacturing capability and guard against critical supply chain vulnerabilities,” the Prime Minister said.

The AstraZeneca vaccine has already been made and frozen at CSL’s facility in Broadmeadows. Picture: AFP

The vaccine has already been made and frozen at CSL’s facility in Broadmeadows.

CSL expects to release 2m doses of the vaccine at the end of March and another 1m every week after that.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said vaccines would play an important role in “enabling Australians to regain our lifestyle”.

It comes as Australia’s first doses of the Pfizer jab are readied for travel after the European Commission approved the first shipment.

Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly on Thursday confirmed that with the first of the 10m doses to arrive in Australia in coming weeks, the rollout schedule was still on track.

“We are definitely on track for the first vaccines in Australia of the already TGA approved Pfizer vaccine before the end of February,” he said.

Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly says the rollout schedule is still on track. Picture: Gary Ramage

Frontline workers in aged care, health and hotel quarantine will receive the jab first, before the rollout is expanded to other vulnerable groups.

Mr Morrison and other leaders will also be vaccinated in the early days.

The federal government is hopeful it will eventually have 3000 sites across the country where people can receive the jab.

The government is currently finalising a plan to create a digital certificate people will be able to access after having a COVID-19 jab to demonstrate they have been vaccinated.

Once the vaccine is being rolled out to the general public, vaccination certificates are expected to be required for access to at-risk facilities including hospitals and aged care homes.

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Originally published as AstraZeneca vaccine to be bottled in Melbourne in days