UK Pfizer deal to speed up jab rates
The Prime Minister says Australia will be able to reopen sooner after striking a deal to immediately bring an extra four million Pfizer doses into the vaccine program.
Scott Morrison says Australia will be able to reopen sooner after striking a deal with Britain to immediately bring an extra four million Pfizer doses into the vaccine program, with the new jabs to “break the back” of the supply issues that have plagued the nation’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
As he rallied premiers to stick to the plan to reopen the nation, the Prime Minister said people from NSW would be able to travel overseas when vaccination rates reached 80 per cent, even if they were subjected to border closures from Western Australia and Queensland.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said recent deals with Britain, Singapore and Poland had brought forward the vaccination program by two months and there was enough supply for every Australian over 12 to get a jab.
“The burden and balance of vaccination in Australia will have moved forward two months, from October and November to August and September,” Mr Hunt said.
“There’s more than nine million Pfizer that are available (in September). A million Moderna in the last two weeks of the month on the current plan and, of course, the AstraZeneca, which is still seeing very significant numbers.
“Every Australian will be able to come forward as early as possible to be vaccinated if they haven’t yet.”
Before a national cabinet meeting on Friday, Mr Morrison rejected Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s claim there would be more than 2200 deaths a month if the nation reopened when the population was 70 per cent vaccinated.
“That’s not what the national plan suggests and to suggest that that’s what the national plan is would be a complete misreading it,” Mr Morrison said.
With Ms Palaszczuk claiming children under 12 could be put at risk if state borders opened when vaccination rates increased, Mr Morrison declared there was “not a country in the world that has approved a vaccine for under 12”.
“To sort of hint that that was something that’s about to happen or should be happening now, I don’t think is very responsible,” Mr Morrison said.
NSW announced 1431 new cases up to Friday, and 12 deaths including a woman in her 30s. There were 208 new cases in Victoria and 18 cases in the ACT.
Mr Morrison said the Pfizer swap deal would bring more vaccines into the rollout this month, doubling the forecast September supply.
Australia will ship the equivalent doses to Britain in December, when there is not a local shortage of the vaccine.
“This will enable us to bring forward, significantly, the opportunity for Australia to open up again under the national plan,” Mr Morrison said.
He said this was the critical month to secure extra Pfizer doses as there were 11 million Pfizer jabs due in October and November.
The government also struck deals to secure extra Pfizer jabs with Poland and Singapore.
“This really does break the back of (the supply issues), I think it’s fair to say,” Mr Morrison said.
Two Qantas flights will bring Pfizer vaccines from Britain to Australia on the weekend.
Before the meeting of national cabinet, Ms Palaszczuk said she would demand updated modelling showing the impact of reopening on children aged under 12.
“Let’s have an educated conversation about these issues,” she said. “There is nothing wrong with asking decent questions about the safety of families.
“It is not about being against a national plan.”
But The Australian has been told Ms Palaszczuk was subdued in the meeting.
Doherty Institute director Jodie McVernon told state and territory leaders children were included in the expert modelling.
She gave a briefing on the modelling, taking into account high case levels, which is expected to be publicly released on Monday.
Health secretary Brendan Murphy addressed state and territory leaders on hospital capacity as case numbers increased.
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