Australia partners with Oxford University for coronavirus vaccine

Australia has struck supply and production agreements over two potential Covid-19 vaccines (Simon Dawson/PA)

Australia has struck supply and production agreements with pharmaceutical companies worth 1.7 billion Australian dollars (£930 million) over two potential Covid-19 vaccines, one developed in the UK.

Under the agreement, the University of Oxford in collaboration with AstraZeneca and Australia’s University of Queensland working with CSL will provide more than 84.8 million vaccine doses for Australia’s population of 26 million people, almost entirely manufactured in the Australian city of Melbourne, the government said.