MBIE's given nearly half-a-million-dollars to an Auckland start-up to develop a Covid-19 vaccine

Covid-19 Vaccine Corporation's also secured one-million-dollars in private funding.

Chief executive Dr Robert Feldman developing a vaccine can cost millions - but the funding secured so far is enough to see if their idea works.

He says they're taking a different development approach - using bacteria instead of animal cells.

Feldman says human trials are expected to begin at the end of 2021 - and they're working to make something that's easier and cheaper to manufacture than the alternatives.