The government is now operating in accordance with the Guidance on Caretaker Conventions, pending the outcome of the 2025 federal election.
The Melbourne-manufactured AstraZeneca vaccine is now available for Australians, with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) this evening approving the release of the first four batches (batches 300157P, 300158P, 300160P and 300161P) totalling 832,200 doses for supply.
The clearance follows last Sunday's TGA approval for the vaccine to be manufactured in Australia by CSL-Seqirus, which in turn followed its approval of the overseas-manufactured AstraZeneca vaccine last month.
TGA testing of the vaccine batches in our Canberra laboratories plus review of extensive manufacturing documentation, has ensured that the locally-manufactured vaccine has the exactly the same composition and performance as the overseas-manufactured vaccine, the same quality, and is free of contaminants.
The TGA's clearance of the vaccine for local manufacture is a major step in Australia's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We will now be able to provide secure access to large numbers of doses of a domestically-produced vaccine, with the Australian government having procured 50 million doses for delivery in the coming months.
TGA approval is required for each and every batch of any vaccine supplied in Australia. All subsequent batches of the Melbourne-manufactured vaccine completed in the coming weeks and months will go through the same individual batch testing and release process by the TGA.
The Australian-produced AstraZeneca vaccine will be progressively available through more than 4,000 distribution points, including general practices, GP-led respiratory clinics, and Aboriginal Health Services.