NATALIE BARR:
The first Australian-made AstraZeneca vaccines are on their way to GP clinics right around the country. 830,000 doses left Melbourne's CSL facility yesterday after being approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. More than 50 million are expected to be produced there by the end of the year.
DAVID KOCH:
Now, these doses are what most of us will receive, marking a major milestone in Australia's vaccination plan. For more, we're joined by Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Professor Michael Kidd. Michael, good to see you again. When are these locally-made doses expected to be administered?
MICHAEL KIDD:
Look, these new doses are going to be starting to be distributed, as you say, over the coming week so we can expect people will start to receive locally produced AstraZeneca vaccines over the coming week.
NATALIE BARR:
So, we have heard, you know, GP receptionists swamped with calls, and it sounded like we're a bit behind. Where are we on the schedule?
MICHAEL KIDD:
So, we're certainly right on schedule at the moment, and as we've been saying through the week, please be patient. If you're in Phase 1B, this phase is going to run over the next two to three months. There's going to be plenty of time to get your vaccine, and there's going to be, obviously, be plenty of vaccine available now that the CSL facility is approved, and these first batches have been approved.
DAVID KOCH:
Originally, the target was 4 million vaccinated by the end of April, I think it was. Don't have a chance in hell of doing it at the moment. Is that because of a supply problem coming from overseas? Overnight, the European Union again saying they're going to stop the exports.
MICHAEL KIDD:
Yes, you're right. So we had delays in receiving the promised shipments of vaccine from overseas, and that, of course, has delayed the rollout for Phase 1A, but that, of course, is continuing, the rollout into our residential aged care facilities and disability care facilities. But we are scaling up the 1B, in accordance with our schedule. We're aiming to, or we have delivered 250,000 doses to general practices and GP-led respiratory clinics, Aboriginal medical services this week. That will be scaling up over the next couple of weeks to over 400,000 doses a week, and then as CSL comes into its full production of 1 million doses a week, we'll scale up further.
DAVID KOCH:
Okay.
NATALIE BARR:
Right, so we won't be able to catch up. Okay.
DAVID KOCH:
Thank goodness we have our own facility here.
NATALIE BARR:
I know.
DAVID KOCH:
It's been a saviour
NATALIE BARR:
Not relying on Europe. Okay, thank you very much.
MICHAEL KIDD:
Absolutely.
NATALIE BARR:
We appreciate your time this morning.
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