Australian Prime Minister: "Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination... Will Achieve 95% Vaccination Rate"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated that if a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, vaccination will be made mandatory, aiming for a 95% vaccination rate. He emphasized that the government will cover the vaccination costs and plans to provide the vaccine free of charge to the public.

According to the Australian daily The Australian on the 19th (local time), in an interview with a Melbourne radio station, Prime Minister Morrison said, "If a vaccine is developed, we plan to make it mandatory with a target vaccination rate of about 95%," adding, "The pandemic is destroying the global economy and taking countless lives." He stressed, "Exemptions will only be granted for health reasons." This is interpreted as a plan to raise the antibody possession rate to over 60%, which is necessary for herd immunity, by maximizing the vaccination rate.

The Australian government is also reportedly preparing to provide free vaccinations to the public to enforce mandatory vaccination. The day before, the Australian government announced that it had signed a priority supply agreement with the British company AstraZeneca, which is currently conducting Phase 3 clinical trials for a COVID-19 vaccine. Prime Minister Morrison explained, "If Oxford University succeeds in developing the vaccine by the end of this year or early next year, it will be provided free of charge to all 25 million Australians."

Greg Hunt, Australia's Federal Minister for Health, also stated, "The Australian government has been in contact with promising domestic and international vaccine developers over the past few months to secure a safe and effective vaccine as soon as possible."

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