Australia is working to shore up supplies of critical COVID-19 vaccines, with the Morrison government raising the heat on the European Union and pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca as it seeks to head off growing criticism of the slow rollout.

Acknowledging the speed of injections remained dependent on deliveries of doses, including from CSL’s Melbourne manufacturing plant, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he had asked EU officials and AstraZeneca to proceed with the shipment of 3.8 million contracted doses caught up in export controls.