<p><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5fd33cab9cf1420018d2eb51-1895/GettyImages-1285884504.jpg" border="0" alt="MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 16: Prime Minister Scott Morrison looks on during a press conference at CSL Lab where a COVID-19 Vaccine is being produced on November 16, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. The federal government has announced a $1.8 billion agreement with pharmaceutical company CSL to construct a new biotech and vaccine manufacturing plant in Melbourne. The plant - to be the largest in the southern hemisphere - will deliver the first population-wide pandemic and seasonal flu vaccines for Australians, safeguarding the nation from global supply chain shortages or queues. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)" data-mce-source="Darrian Traynor/Getty Images" data-mce-caption="Prime Minister Scott Morrison seen on November 16, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia."></p><p></p><bi-shortcode id="summary-shortcode" data-type="summary-shortcode" class="mceNonEditable" contenteditable="false">Summary List Placement</bi-shortcode><p>Australia has become the first country in the world to scrap a coronavirus vaccine project, after a shot developed as part of the $750 million scheme saw trial participants falsely test positive for HIV.</p><p>The University of Queensland and the Australian biotech firm CSL had been conducting clinical trials on a prototype vaccine with the backing of the Australian government and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.</p><p>But at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch'v=js4vuuScWBE">a press conference Friday</a>, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that the projected was terminated.</p><p>"We can't have any issues with confidence," he said. "We are as a nation now, with a good portfolio of vaccines, able to make these decisions to best protect the Australian people."</p><p><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5fd33ab59cf1420018d2eb4f-2400/Screenshot 2020-12-11 at 09.22.07.png" border="0" alt="Scott Morrison" data-mce-source="9 News /YouTube" data-mce-caption="Australian prime minister Scott Morrison speaks at a press conference on December 10, 2020."></p><p>In its place, Morrison said his government would increase orders of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-vaccine-timeline-what-to-watch-leading-research-2020-3">other vaccines</a>, namely 120 million more doses of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/william-shakespeare-first-uk-man-pfizer-coronavirus-vaccine-2020-12">the Pfizer shot</a>, 20 million more shorts of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astrazeneca-oxford-coronavirus-vaccine-news-problems-questions-data-2020-11">AstraZeneca vaccine</a>, and 11 million extra doses of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/novavax-stock-price-coronavirus-vaccine-trial-progress-data-update-nvax-2020-11">Novavax vaccine.</a></p><p>Speaking after Morrison, Health Minister Greg Hunt said the Queensland trial vaccine "triggered an antibody response that could interfere with HIV screening."</p><p>Several trial participants who were given a shot of the prototype vaccine had tested positive for HIV, despite not having that virus.</p><p>The trial vaccine had used parts of a protein found in HIV, which triggered antibodies commonly seen during HIV testing. </p><p>Despite the false positive HIV test results, the trial vaccine was showing promising signs in combating the coronavirus, <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2020/12/update-uq-covid-19-vaccine">the University of Queensland said</a> in a Friday statement.</p><p>"The UQ-CSL v451 COVID-19 vaccine has shown that it elicits a robust response towards the virus and has a strong safety profile," it said.</p><p>"However, following consultation with the Australian Government, CSL will not progress the vaccine candidate to Phase 2/3 clinical trials."</p><p>"There is no possibility the vaccine causes [HIV] infection, and routine follow up tests confirmed there is no HIV virus present," the university added.</p><p>As of Friday, Australia has recorded 28,012 cases of COVID-19 and 908 total deaths, <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert/coronavirus-covid-19-current-situation-and-case-numbers">Health Ministry data shows.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-vaccine-australia-scrap-750m-project-false-hiv-test-results-2020-12#comments">Join the conversation about this story »</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/electric-planes-future-of-aviation-problems-regulations-2020-3">Why electric planes haven't taken off yet</a></p>
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