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Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced hundreds of millions of dollars to help secure access to a Covid-19 vaccine as soon as one becomes available.
The specific amount, from the Government's Covid-19 Response and Recovery Fund, cannot be disclosed due to commercial sensitivity - but it is not part of the $14 billion still in reserve.
But a vaccine might be as long as two years away, according to Professor Graham Le Gros, programme director of funding recipient Vaccine Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand – Ohu Kaupare Huaketo, a partnership between the Malaghan Institute, Otago University and Victoria University.
Le Gros said he didn't want to give people false hope about when a vaccine might be ready.



"The brutal truth is we don't know a lot about this virus and how to make an effective vaccine against it," he said.
"I don't want to depress anyone, but it is going to take time. We have to be patient. My guess is two years."
Professor James Ussher, who is the alliance's science director said some vaccine candidates might be shown to be "efficacious" early next year "at the earliest".
But getting a vaccine through trials was only the first step, and then making and distributing it was a challenge, he added.
"We're not necessarily going to get all the vaccine we need in one go because of the massive global demand. It may be some vaccine comes in initially for those at the most risk.
"That's something that needs to be worked out."