Australia starts making 30million coronavirus vaccine doses to be rolled out in March - but how will the government 'encourage as many people as possible' to take one?

Australia has started making 30million doses of a coronavirus vaccine which will be rolled out in March if it is approved by regulators.

The vaccine developed by British company AstraZeneca and Oxford University is being produced at a factory in Melbourne by biotechnology company CSL.

The jab is seen as the leading candidate across the globe and is in final-stage trials in the UK, US and other countries.

Australia has started making 30million doses of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine which will be rolled out in March if it is approved. Pictured: AstraZeneca's headquarters in Sydney

Health Minister Greg Hunt has not ruled out banning Australians from entering the country if they had not received the jab. Pictured: Sydney Airport

The vaccine doses will be produced over the next 50 days and then stored pending approval for use by Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration.

Health Minister Greg Hunt on Monday said health workers and senior citizens will be given priority access to the jab which requires two doses per person. 

'The first vaccines are likely to be available in about March... that would start with the health workers and the elderly if it's approved for them,' he told Sydney radio 2GB.

Mr Hunt said the vaccine could be rolled out nationwide before the end of 2021 but said it would not be compulsory.

'It's going to be voluntary but we'll encourage as many people as possible,' he said.

'We're confident that we'll have a very high take-up amongst the Australian population.'

He added: 'Our job is make sure it's safe, effective and available and also to provide the public with the confidence that this is something that can save lives and protect lives.' 

The government has signed a deal with biotech company CSL to make doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine at its factory in Melbourne. Pictured: Scott Morrison at Scientia Clinical Research Ltd lab in Randwick, Sydney on Thursday

It is not clear what incentives the government will put in place to encourage vaccination.

In August Mr Hunt told A Current Affair he would 'not rule out' banning Australians from entering the country if they had not received the jab. 

'If the medical advice is that it's required I could certainly imagine that being the case,' he said.

Another option would be to withhold government support from people who do not get the vaccine.

The government already does this under the 2015 'no jab, no pay' rule that stops parents getting some tax benefits, Child Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate payments if they refuse to vaccinate their child.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Nick Coatsworth has said measures to encourage vaccine take-up such as banning Australians from flights, restaurants and public transport would be discussed by health officials and ministers.

CSL has separate contracts with AstraZeneca and the Australian government to manufacture the 30 million doses of the vaccine candidate.

'This is an important milestone and marks the end of many months of around-the-clock preparation by our skilled personnel globally,' CSL's chief scientific officer, Andrew Nash said in a statement.

'There's still a long way to go and our first priority resolutely remains the safety and efficacy of the vaccines we produce.'

The government last week signed deals to buy two more Covid-19 vaccines if they pass ongoing trials.

Australia will potentially buy 40 million doses from American company Novavax and 10 million doses of a jab jointly produced by US firm Pfizer and German partner BioNTech. 

The federal government will buy 40million doses of a vaccine produced by American company Novavax and 10million doses of a jab jointly produced by US firms Pfizer and BioNTech. Pictured: Sydneysiders at Royal Randwick racecourse  on Tuesday

Both vaccines are undergoing large final-stage trials around the world and could be approved for use in Australia by early next year. 

The deals worth $1.5billion add to agreements already signed with the University of Queensland and the University of Oxford and take the total number of potential doses secured to 134million at a cost of $3.2billion. All the vaccines require two doses per person.

The Federal Government is consulting with the states and territories, key medical experts and industry peak bodies on how to distribute the vaccine. 

Key vaccination sites will initially include GPs, GP respiratory clinics and workplaces such as aged care facilities.

Any Covid-19 vaccination will be free and optional.   

The deals add to agreements already signed with the University of Queensland and the University of Oxford and take the total number of potential doses secured to 134million