Australia will not automatically approve Pfizer vaccine in wake of UK, US rollout

Australia is not going to approve the Pfizer vaccine just because the US and the UK already have done so, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said.

Speaking after today's National Cabinet meeting – in which every state and territory leader save for Mark McGowan of Western Australia was present in person - Mr Morrison said any vaccine would still have to pass Australian regulatory bodies.

"On the issue of the accreditation approval of vaccines in Australia, we will do that on Australian rules with Australian officials and on the Australian timetable," he said.

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"Australia has one of the highest rates of vaccination in the world. The reason for that is we take these issues incredibly seriously."

He rejected the assertion taxpayer money had been wasted on the now-terminated University of Queensland coronavirus vaccine project.

"Every cent we have invested in getting the best and most early available and safe vaccines for Australians and the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic has been money well spent. Every single cent," he said.

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"There are no guarantees when it comes to vaccine development."

Mr Morrison noted that Australia was only one of 20 countries around the world capable of manufacturing vaccines.

Department of Health Secretary and former chief medical officer Brendan Murphy said experts are not sure if vaccinated people will stop "carrying" the disease.

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"The vaccines can prevent disease. We know that very clearly," Professor Murphy said.

"The extent to which they will effectively prevent, for example, asymptomatic transmission or people bringing the virus with them when they travel, we still have to find out."

Professor Murphy said it was still unclear whether people should be able to travel to and from Australia once they have been vaccinated.

"This is an evolving place and there may well come a time when we have evidence that vaccines are very good at preventing people contracting the infection and in that circumstance it may be appropriate to allow quarantine-free travel," he said.

"We just have to watch and wait as it develops."

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