Pfizer delivery sped up but total number of vaccines available by end of 2021 will not increase

Covid-19 vaccination rates are set to rise exponentially over coming months, but drug company Pfizer has moved to clarify what Aussies should expect.

Pfizer has moved to clarify that Australia should not expect extra doses of Covid-19 vaccine this year, after Scott Morrison announced some supplies would be brought forward.

The Prime Minister did a media blitz on Friday, saying the number of available doses would rise to a million a week after Australia secured 300,000 jabs ahead of schedule for greater Sydney.

This includes 150,000 AstraZeneca and 150,000 Pfizer doses from July 19.

“We have been working with Pfizer now for quite some period of time to bring forward our supplies,” Mr Morrison told Today.

While the Prime Minister never said the doses were extras, Pfizer clarified in a statement on Friday that the number of vaccines set to reach Australia had not increased.

Long queues of people form at the Olympic Park Vaccination Hub in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gaye Gerard

The company said its delivery schedule would be continually updated in line with the “ramp-up” in the vaccine’s availability in Australia.

“Deliveries to Australia remain on track, and we continue to update our weekly delivery schedule in line with the ramp-up,” it said.

Pfizer expected the remainder of the 40 million doses to be delivered “by the end of 2021”.

When asked about the Pfizer statement, Mr Morrison said: “I never said there were additional doses. They are bring forward doses.”

Aussies received 1.7 million Pfizer jabs in June. Mr Morrison said this would rise to 2.8 million in July and 4.5 million in August.

“We’ve got 1300 extra GPs coming on line this month to deliver the Pfizer vaccine,” Mr Morrison told Today.

“We are really hitting our marks now.”

Greater Sydney is in its 14th day of lockdown. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Meanwhile, in Queensland, dwindling supplies of Pfizer remain an issue.

Speaking in Gladstone on Friday, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese was critical of the Morrison government’s “spin” on the extra vaccines.

“Let’s be clear here: These are very small increases in supply of the vaccine,” he said.

Mr Albanese highlighted that at the Gladstone GP Super Clinic there were only eight doses of Pfizer left.

“We need to do much better. And we need to do much better in terms of regional communities,” he said.

Mr Morrison rejected Labor’s criticism during a press conference on Friday afternoon.

“Labor is always hoping for the worst,” he said.

“In the middle of a pandemic, this is very disappointing. They are wrong.

“We’ve been able to bring forward these important doses out of our contracted program, which means they’re available now, in July. It’s real.

“I don‘t understand why Labor always hopes for the worst … They should just get behind the program and stop trying to play politics.”

Scott Morrison says the government has worked hard to bring some Pfizer doses forward. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

The Pfizer ramp-up comes two weeks into Sydney’s lockdown.

On Wednesday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the lockdown would be extended to July 17.

NSW has 406 active cases of Covid-19.

Speaking to 2GB radio on Friday, Mr Morrison urged those living in southwestern Sydney to make sure they received their second dose.

“If you‘ve got your second dose – particularly if you’re in southwestern Sydney – please go and get it,” he said.

On the Today show, Mr Morrison stressed Pfizer had not been at fault for the delayed delivery of Australians’ preferred vaccine brand.

“Pfizer’s supply to us, all the way through, what they’ve said they will deliver, they have delivered,” he said.