New Australian plant could make 100 million vaccines a year

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia says it plans to start making mRNA vaccines at home with a new plant that could produce up to 100 million doses each year. The announcement came as coronavirus cases in Sydney and surrounding areas jumped, driven in part by the omicron variant. The new factory would be built in Victoria state in a partnership between vaccine manufacturer Moderna and the federal and state governments. It is expected to opened by 2024. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says it’s in the country’s national interest to produce vaccines locally. New South Wales state, where Sydney is located, on Tuesday reported more than 800 new infections, the highest in more than two months, including dozens of omicron cases.