100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

Australia's CSL factory has been approved to start manufacturing the AstraZeneca vaccine

Do you have a news tip? Click here to send to our news team.

Man hurt in reported 20m fall at mountain

A man appears to have fallen 20 metres at a popular peak in the Glass House Mountains. The man, in his 20s, suffered head and More

Man injured in gyrocopter crash on island

A man has suffered multiple injuries in a gyrocopter crash on K'gari. The LifeFlight Sunshine Coast-based aeromedical crew was tasked to the western side of More

Police renew appeal for help over mum’s alleged homicide

Detectives have released more information about the alleged homicide of a Noosa mum in February. At 5.40am on Saturday, February 22, 49-year-old Crystal Beale’s body More

Palmer blows horn for campaign launch on Coast

Clive Palmer and his Trumpet of Patriots party will officially launch their campaign on the Sunshine Coast today, with a focus on cost-of-living and More

State-facilitated 40-unit project officially scrapped

A proposal to build a four-storey, 40-unit project via the controversial State Facilitated Development pathway has been officially revoked. Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie, who is More

Boy airlifted in critical condition after being hit by vehicle

A primary school-aged boy has been flown to hospital in a potentially life-threatening condition after a vehicle and pedestrian incident yesterday. The Sunshine Coast-based LifeFlight More

Australian-made vials of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine are set to be released within days after the national medicine regulator approved domestic production.

Late on Sunday, the Therapeutic Goods Administration gave its blessing for pharmaceutical giant CSL to manufacture the AstraZeneca vaccine at its two Melbourne sites in Broadmeadows and Parkville.

The approval does not extend to use, however, with the regulator still needing to review batch documents and test to ensure they meet manufacturing standards.

But it said that was “imminent”, paving the way for domestically produced batches of the AstraZeneca vaccine to be shipped out “in the next few days”.

“Today’s approval is a critical and very exciting milestone in Australia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” the TGA said on Sunday.

CSL has been charged with manufacturing 50 million doses of the AstraZeneca jab as part of an agreement struck with the federal government.

“These will form the mainstay of Australia’s COVID-19 vaccination program over the coming months, and complement imported vaccine supplies,” the TGA said.

The announcement coincides with the next stage of Australia’s vaccine rollout, which is facing further disruptions as heavy rain and flooding blocks roads in NSW.

The ‘phase 1b’ rollout – for people aged more than 70, Indigenous Australians over 55, those with a medical condition or disability, and workers deemed high risk – starts on Monday.

Throughout the coming week, more than 1000 general practices in cities and country towns across Australia will start administrating the AstraZeneca vaccine, with the aim to inoculate six million people.

“Obviously we won’t be able to vaccinate all six million people (on Monday), or over the coming week, so please be patient,” Deputy Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd told reporters in Canberra on Sunday.

“At the moment, some general practices will only receive 50 doses a week and they will be prioritising their most elderly and most unwell patients.”

Authorities expect CSL to quickly ramp up production to a million doses a week once final approval is granted, Professor Kidd added.

In the meantime, the rollout of ‘phase 1a’ is expected to continue for another six to eight weeks until all people in that group have received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

Prof Kidd also reminded people to have their annual flu shot, which will become available over the coming month.

But importantly he said it is recommended there is a 14-day gap between having the COVID vaccine and the influenza vaccine.

There were just four COVID-19 overseas acquired cases recorded in Australia on Sunday, two in NSW and two in Queensland.

Subscribe to SCN’s free daily news email

Hidden
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
[scn_go_back_button] Return Home
Share