This week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the Australian government has signed an agreement to produce a COVID-19 vaccine under development at the UK’s University of Oxford, if safety and efficacy trials are successful.

After initially saying the vaccine would be “as mandatory as you can possibly make it” he walked these comments back and said it won’t be compulsory.

But positioning this vaccine as mandatory before it’s even available — let alone proven to be safe and effective — may seriously affect public trust and future vaccine acceptance.

Some people might refuse a COVID-19 vaccine