Australia's first fully integrated mRNA vaccine facility could help the nation avoid billions in costs from the next pandemic, as Moderna defends a controversial government deal as a necessary investment.

Having an onshore capability to manufacture mRNA vaccines from start to finish could save the nation $4.8 billion during pandemics across the next 30 years, an independent report by Oxford Economics reveals.

Australia could avoid $3.25 billion from lockdown-related mental health and wellbeing impacts, $1.33 billion in lockdown costs, $219 million from reduced mortality risk and $15 million from shipping vaccines from overseas.

With an almost two per cent likelihood of a pandemic every year in the next three decades, the facility would give Australia sovereign capabilities to scale up v

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