Australia approves highly effective Moderna Covid-19 jab for over 18s

Australia approves highly effective Moderna Covid-19 jab for over 18s – adding 25million doses to national vaccine orders

By Charlie Moore, Political Reporter For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 07:15 BST, 9 August 2021 | Updated: 07:45 BST, 9 August 2021

Australia’s beleaguered vaccine rollout has been given a shot in the arm with the approval of the highly effective Moderna coronavirus jab.

One million doses will arrive next month after the American vaccine was given provisional approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration on Monday afternoon.

The vaccine requires two doses 28 days apart and latest data from the US shows it is 93 per cent effective against any infection, 98 per cent effective against severe disease and 100 per cent effective against death. 

Australia has approved the Modern coronavirus vaccine. Pictured: Pfizer vaccinations in Sydney on Monday

The jab – which can be taken by over 18s – uses the same mRNA technology as the Pfizer vaccine and is not linked to the rare blood clots caused by the AstraZeneca jab. 

It was approved by the UK in January and has also been used widely in Europe and the US where 140million doses have been given.

One million doses are expected to arrive in Australia in late September and three million in October, November and December. 

Australia’s agreement with Moderna is for 10 million doses of their current vaccine in 2021 and 15 million doses of booster or variant-specific versions of the vaccine in 2022.

‘This means we have an additional 25 million doses of Moderna to add to the 125 million Pfizer doses and 53 million AstraZeneca doses we’ve already started rolling out,’ Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

‘We will have 10million of the Moderna doses arriving before the end of this year. The first one million doses is on track to arrive next month and will go to pharmacies.’ 

Moderna is also considering using Australia as a trial country for children as young as six months if the medicines regulator grants approval.

The Moderna vaccine uses the same mRNA technology as the Pfizer vaccine. Pictured: Sydney residents in Bondi on Monday

Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said the government ultimately wanted people of all ages included in the rollout.

‘Moderna’s looking at a global trial, Australia may be part of that, but that will be subject to all of the technical and scientific advice that needs to be provided,’ he told Sky News on Monday.

Professor John Skerritt, head of the TGA, said Moderna had not yet applied for a clinical trial. 

‘They are interested in testing the efficacy of their vaccines in children as young as six months. We welcome that,’ he said. 

:

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk