NOVEMBER 17, 2020 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
infocus Road to recovery I SPECIAL EDITION SEE INSIDE
(Damjan Janevski) 220760_01
Swimming for joy Children were jumping back in the water last week as swimming lessons resumed and COVID-19 restrictions eased in Victoria. JUMP! Swim School, which operates at Bundoora, Caroline Springs and South Morang, had been closed since late March, leaving children high and dry on the sidelines. JUMP! chief executive Mark Collins said they were expecting to be busy in the coming months, with swim centres in other states recording a 26 per cent increase in patrons compared to the same time last year. “Swimming is not an activity most kids can practice at home – it requires a suitable pool and the qualified swim teachers that come with it,” Mr Collins said. “Considering most children have had more than six months off already, the loss in confidence and basic, life-saving skills is very likely and immensely concerning.” Mr Collins said with the warmer weather and Christmas school holidays approaching, water safety is even more important. Details: jumpswimschools.com.au. SISTERS KAIDA, 11, AND ALLIRA, 9
Tara Murray
Broady link to vaccine bid By Tara Murray A Broadmeadows company is at the forefront of Australia’s quest to find a COVID-19 vaccine. CSL Limited, a leading global biotechnology company, is manufacturing two different possible vaccines, with work beginning on the second vaccine last week. CSL Limited has signed a Heads of Agreement (HoA) with the federal government for the supply of 51 million doses of the University of Queensland’s (UQ) COVID-19 vaccine candidate (V451), and a separate HoA with AstraZeneca
to manufacture about 30 million doses of the Oxford University candidate (AZD1222), should trials of both prove successful. Multiple doses of the UQ-CSL V451 vaccine candidate have been manufactured at the Broadmeadows facility and are being held in readiness to progress to the next stage of trials. The decision to proceed to the next clinical trial stage will be made once phase one data has been released and analysed. Last week, the manufacturing process started for the AZD1222 candidate, with the thawing of vials containing vaccine cells.
Over the next 12 months, CSL will manufacture eight large-scale batches of the AZD1222 vaccine. If the vaccine’s safety and efficacy is proven in clinical trials currently underway, it is anticipated that the vaccine will be administered to people in two doses. CSL’s chief scientific officer Andrew Nash said starting work on the manufacture of the vaccines was an important part of the process. “This … marks the end of many months of around the clock preparation by our skilled personnel globally within CSL Behring, Seqirus and research and development,” Dr Nash said.
“Both campaigns are still technically challenging but at this time we are tracking well and expect to produce the AZD1222 and the UQ-CSL V451 vaccine for Australia by mid-2021. “There’s still a long way to go and our first priority resolutely remains the safety and efficacy of the vaccines we produce.” The vaccines will not be released for use until the relevant clinical trial and manufacturing data are reviewed and approved by the Australian gwovernment regulatory authority; the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
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