Mike Freelander (Macarthur, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer to the government's announcement that doses of the Moderna vaccine will be available from September. Can the Prime Minister confirm that Moderna has been administered in the United States since December last year, in France, Germany and Italy since January, in Singapore since March, in the UK and Canada since April and in Japan since May?

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm happy to take those dates on notice, but my understanding is that they are correct. In addition to that, though, what we have done in Australia is that we've put in place a system which included six principal contracts for vaccine acquisition in Australia. That includes, firstly, 40 million Pfizer vaccines. We are in that process. Secondly, we have the AstraZeneca vaccines, over 53 million of which have been acquired. It's very important. But for the fact that we made the decision for sovereign vaccine manufacturing, it is clear, we would not have been able to receive the vast majority of those. We did that in light of the times that were available for international distributions of vaccines to Australia and New Zealand. In addition to that, we've acquired 51 million Novavax.

Dr Leigh interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Fenner will cease interjecting.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We also placed an order for over 50 million University of Queensland molecular clamp vaccines. That was not ultimately successful, but I think it was an important investment. We've also acquired enough for every Australian for the COVAX Facility. As well as that, there are 25 million Moderna vaccines. That approval, which the TGA has now completed and which I welcome, leads us to be able to deliver that vaccine commencing in the second half of September, subject to final confirmation of supply arrangements. But, on the advice that I had on the weekend, that remains the expected time frame for the first of those 10 million doses this year. Next year, of course, we have the 15 million additional doses of Moderna, and beyond that we also have 60 million doses of Pfizer. What does all of this mean? It means that Australia has a sufficient supply to deliver the opportunity for every Australian to be vaccinated during the course of this year, and to be vaccinated safely—to have that approval from the medical regulator.

There were those who were urging that these processes be skipped. There were those who were casting doubt on AstraZeneca during the course of this year.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Who?

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If you'd like me to answer who cast doubt on AstraZeneca, then I'm very happy to do that. If I may:

Feels like Australia is being shortchanged with an inferior vaccine—

AstraZeneca. She also said:

The issue though is that the rest of the country is going to be offered a lower efficacious vaccine—the AstraZeneca …

The person in question is Michelle Ananda-Rajah, the hand-picked candidate for Higgins.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just before I go to the next question—

Mr Albanese interjecting—

The Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting!

An honourable member interjecting—

That is a perfect example for members of the House. If they interject and the minister responds to it, they might rethink about why they're interjecting and whether that's a good idea.