Australian COVID Vaccine Program Receives $1.9B Boost

Almost $2 billion will be spent equipping hospitals and other health centres to administer COVID-19 vaccines. Prime Minister Scott Morrison will make the funding commitment during a major speech to the National Press Club in Canberra on February 1. Morrison says vaccinating 26 million Australians by the end of the year will be one of the nation’s largest-ever logistical exercises. He will announce an extra $1.9 billion – taking the vaccine program to $6.3 billion – for the workforce involved in the roll-out of the jabs through GPs, pharmacies and thousands of other approved centres. A special surge workforce will ensure it gets to hard-to-reach areas. Morrison says CSL’s Melbourne manufacturing plant alone should produce enough of the AstraZeneca vaccine to cover the nation. But the Pfizer vaccine will still be the first rolled out from late this month. However, the prime minister says even with the vaccines there can …