19 August 2020 - Prime Minister Scott Morrison has backtracked on comments that a free COVID-19 vaccine would be ‘as mandatory as possible’ once it’s available.

Asked whether the vaccine would be mandatory, Mr Morrison told 3AW’s Neil Mitchell on Wednesday morning that it needed to get to about 95 per cent of the population.

“I would expect it to be as mandatory as you can possibly make it,” the PM said.

“There are always exemptions for any vaccine on medical grounds but that should be the only basis.

“I mean we’re talking about a pandemic that has destroyed you know, the global economy and taken the lives of hundreds of thousands all around the world and over 450 Australians here.

“We need the most extensive and comprehensive response to this to get Australia back to normal.”

However, he later backtracked on these comments, telling 2GB’s Jim Wilson that the vaccine wouldn’t be compulsory.

“There’s been a bit of an overreaction to any suggestion of this, there will be no compulsory vaccine,” he said.

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