The federal budget, to be unveiled on tomorrow, works on the assumption a COVID-19 vaccine will be available next year.

Medical Journal of Australia Editor-in-Chief Professor Nick Talley told Oliver Peterson it looks promising there’ll be a vaccine.

“I would probably bet we’ll have one sometime next year,” said Professor Talley.

Despite this, Professor Talley said for example if the vaccine was 50 per cent effective, nearly every Australian would have to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity.

“I’m hoping the vaccine will be more effective than that and we won’t have to vaccinate quite as many people because not everyone will want or will be able to be vaccinated.”

Listen to the full interview: