Some reports out of South Africa are that it’s mostly mild. Other information we have is that hospitalisation rates are increasing. So, we need to get further information there, and we are getting that information.
What we do know of the two cases that have so far been diagnosed in Australia – and there may be more, but at the moment, two – both young people, both from South Africa, both fully vaccinated, asymptomatic. That’s just two people.
We know in Hong Kong: two cases there. Young people, a transmission in hotel quarantine from one person to the other, young, fully vaccinated, asymptomatic.
So, we need to see whether that is actually the characteristic of this virus. Of course, if it is, that’s very reassuring, but it’s too early to definitely say that.
The third one is about vaccine effectiveness and treatment effectiveness. And the minister mentioned he’d spoken with the CEOs of our two major suppliers of vaccine at the moment – Moderna and Pfizer.
Both of those companies have put out public statements over the weekend saying that they are on to this.
They know that they can change, and this is one of the other major advances in the last two years.
We did not have vaccines, we did not have proven mRNA technology. We have both of those now. We have contracts with those companies.
They are already starting on considering what they would do as a specific vaccine if it is needed. At the moment, we have no definite evidence, either clinical or laboratory or at the population level, that the vaccines are less effective against this virus. We have no evidence of that.
And Pfizer and Moderna can move quickly, if that was to come to pass, to make a specific vaccine. That’s a major advantage.
