Major vaccine manufacturing facility opens in Victoria

Moderna has opened the Southern Hemisphere’s only mRNA vaccine manufacturing site in Victoria.

Located at Monash University’s Clayton Campus, in Melbourne, the facility can manufacture up to 100 million vaccine doses a year for various diseases from COVID-19 to the flu and other respiratory diseases.

This new facility makes Australia one of the few countries in the world, and the only one in the Southern Hemisphere, with end-to-end mRNA manufacturing capabilities, Moderna said.

With Moderna’s new facility and fellow pharma company BioNTech also establishing a manufacturing hub at La Trobe University earlier this year, Victoria is now the only place in the world where both mRNA leaders host research and development (R&D) and manufacturing operations.

“There are now three world-leading centres of medical research – Boston, London and Victoria,” Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen added.

Moderna’s new vaccine manufacturing site, at Monash University.

Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler said, “This is a major step forward in helping protect Australians against future pandemics, while creating highly skilled jobs, supporting local industry, and promoting research collaboration.

“COVID taught us how important it is to have the capability to manufacture the latest vaccines here in Australia.”

Moderna General Manager for Australia & New Zealand, Michael Azrak said the facility’s opening is a testament to what can be achieved through collaboration and dedication.

“I’m incredibly proud that Moderna has been able to deliver this landmark facility to produce vaccines in Australia for Australians, a significant investment into the country’s biosecurity by our company.”

The facility will create 140 new jobs on site, with the Victorian government stating up to 500 indirect jobs will also be supported across advanced medical manufacturing, R&D, supply chains and the broader workforce.

Moderna’s new site expects to produce its first mRNA vaccines in 2025.