Scott Morrison backs Prince Alfred Hotel’s free post-jab beers

The free beers are back on at a Melbourne pub that was banned from giving away pints to people who have had the Covid vaccine.

It’s happy hour again for vaccinated Victorians after the Therapeutic Goods Administration on Friday night reversed a decision to stop the Prince Alfred Hotel in Port Melbourne from offering beers as a reward for patrons getting the jab.

The watchdog’s U-turn follows a high-level intervention from PM Scott Morrison who said the issue “would get sorted”.

Any alcoholic incentive – available only to double-vaccinated patrons – “must not encourage excessive or rapid consumption of alcohol, have a strong or evident appeal to minors and must be served consistent with the Responsible Service of Alcohol arrangements”.

“The offer can be made to a certain group, for example, the employees of the business, or the members of the organisation, or to all members of the public,” the TGA’s updated advice says.

Co-owner Tom Streater spruiking the offer on the hotel's social media. Picture: Facebook

A TGA spokesperson told the Herald Sun the TGA has amended the regulations to permit an offer of alcohol for people who are vaccinated against Covid-19.

“These conditions ensure that offers of alcohol will not encourage excessive alcohol intake, while allowing Australian businesses to encourage the uptake of Covid-19 vaccination by eligible Australians.”

The Prime Minister said on Friday morning the TGA’s initial ban was “a bit heavy-handed”.

“The TGA is doing the job, the rules are there for important reasons,” Mr Morrison told Sunrise.

“It is a sensible rule, but in these circumstances, the national interest is to get vaccinated, so the Prince Alfred down in Melbourne, good on you for getting behind it.

“We’ll get it sorted, common sense will prevail, cheers to the PA.”

But Mr Morrison said with 150,000 doses being administered a day across the nation, the pub “might want to be careful”.

“There might not be enough kegs to back that one up,” he said.

Prince Alfred Hotel co-owner Tom Streater said he was left stunned after the Prime Minister addressed the TGA decision on Friday morning.

“I’m truly surprised the Prime Minister was on national television talking about us – we’re just a little neighbourhood watering hole,” he said.

“I thought it was just a bit of political posturing but they’ve genuinely reversed the decision, so I’m really pleased. I truly can’t believe it.”

Mr Streater said the pub would not have made the offer if they had been aware of the TGA guidelines banning the offering of alcohol as an incentive.

“We were just trying to do something nice for our customers, who were doing a good thing for us by getting vaccinated and helping stop lockdowns in the future,” he said.

“We were a bit disappointed to hear it was not allowed, but we had no idea there were guidelines or else we wouldn’t have done it.”

Mr Streater earlier said the promotion was a way to “do our bit” to avoid future lockdowns.

“More people vaccinated means less Covid,” he said.

“We can’t afford to do another year like last year.

“If we had to stay closed for another five to six months I’m not sure if we would come out the other side.

“My mate who owns a restaurant said ‘thank god you’re doing something about it’.”

But their campaign wasn’t to be, with the TGA contacting Mr Streater on Wednesday to say alcoholic vaccine incentives are banned.

“When they rang I joked that they were calling to say thank you,” he said.

“I reckon about an extra 500 people in Port Melbourne got vaccinated this week because of us.

“Take-up was maybe only 50 but when I looked across the road, more than half the people in the queue were our regular customers.

“I’d like to think our little effort made them more aware (of the pop-up clinic).”

Health Minister Martin Foley has also thrown his support behind the pub’s boozy incentive.

“I’m all for it. (The Prince Alfred Hotel) is just around the corner from my office,” he said.

Mr Foley took his latest swipe at the Commonwealth, after Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced his support for the incentive.

Mr Foley said he was glad that Mr Morrison had established that Melbourne was “part of the Commonwealth and that he’s keen to make sure that incentives are real and tangible”.

He added: “I don’t know why the TGA had that rule in place, given the federal government had just had a meeting in preceding days about how to incentivise measures to get people vaccinated … What we need is everyone vaccinated and if PA’s suggestion of a beer is going to help as part of that, then good on PA’s.”

Mr Streater said while the TGA didn’t threaten any fines and were “super nice”, he knows better than to mess with the regulators.

The hotel plans to move to a food-related incentive instead.

A TGA spokesperson saidwhile businesses can offer rewards, alcohol is banned because of its “potential for it to cause harm”.

“Businesses are unable to offer alcohol as a reward for being vaccinated because the provision of rewards such as alcohol, tobacco or certain medicines is not consistent with the legal permission issued by the TGA which enables COVID-19 vaccines to be advertised to consumers, including by offering rewards for being fully vaccinated,” they said.

The Prince Alfred Hotel.

“This permission contains strict controls to ensure that the advertising of COVID-19 vaccines is socially responsible and supportive of Government messaging.

“These controls include a prohibition on offering alcohol, tobacco or medicines other than listed medicines as rewards.

“The rationale for excluding alcohol in particular relates to the potential for it to cause harm. “It is open to businesses to offer a reward to vaccinated people in accordance with the permission.”

The Administration revealed they have received five complaints about businesses offering rewards, and said they were “engaging with businesses to make them aware of their obligations in relation to advertising of therapeutic goods”.

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