Australia seeks deal with Moderna for domestic production of mRNA vaccines

CANBERRA: Australia is in talks with Moderna Inc to establish domestic manufacturing of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines such as the company's COVID-19 vaccine, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday.

Australia, which on Wednesday agreed to buy 25 million doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, has pledged to spend A$1.5 billion ($1.2 billion) to revitalise manufacturing across six sectors, including pharmaceuticals. The move to put manufacturing at the centre of a long-term recovery plan comes amid a realization that Australia has been too reliant on Asia for the supply of essential goods. Sour relations with top trading partner, China, and the pandemic’s impact on global supply chains have also strengthened that view.