Australia secures four million Pfizer doses from UK in vaccine swap deal

The Prime Minister has announced a massive Pfizer win for Australia after signing a deal with the UK for millions of doses.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced that Australia will receive four million doses of Pfizer this month in a major vaccine swap deal with the UK.

Making the announcement at a press conference on Friday, Mr Morrison said he owed British Prime Minister Boris Johnson “a beer” for the deal between “mates”.

“There are four million reasons to be hopeful today,” he said.

“The government has been able to secure, with the government of the United Kingdom, a Pfizer swap deal which will see four million doses of Pfizer come to Australia this month.”

Mr Morrison said the first batch of the doses would arrive on Saturday.

“The plane is on the tarmac now. It will be leaving tomorrow,” he said.

The rest of the additional doses will arrive in the coming weeks.

“This will see us double the Pfizer doses that we have during September,” Mr Morrison said.

“This month was a critical month to secure this because in October it surges to 11 million doses and again in November.

“We had a strong supplies in those months and is why getting it this month was so important.”

The four million new doses will be distributed to states and territories on a per capita basis across GP clinics, pharmacies and state vaccination hubs.

Once pressure for vaccines eases in Australia at a later date, four million doses will be sent from the national stockpile back to the UK for it to use in its booster program.

“I want to thank (Mr Johnson) for his personal commitment to this and his great friendship with Australia,” Mr Morrison said of the arrangement.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the deal with the UK was a deal between “mates”. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“There’s been some very late-night discussions and negotiations and legal work taking place, especially over the course of the past week, to bring this to conclusion, but it has been a real commitment to Australia from Prime Minister Johnson.”

Mr Morrison said the deal would speed up the rate of the vaccine rollout nationwide, but would not set a date on when he now expected 70 per cent of the population to be double dosed.

“Initial estimates had not seen us doing it until late in this year. Obviously, I think we will get to it a lot closer than that,” he said.

“This will enable us to bring forward significantly the opportunity for Australia to open up again under the national plan.”

Australia has secured four million additional Pfizer doses through a swap deal with the UK. Picture: Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images

The PM said it was still crucial for eligible Australians to keep getting jabbed with both Pfizer and AstraZeneca.

“We will only get there if people get going and get vaccinated … we cannot take off any sense of urgency to keep pressing towards that,” he said.

“If you are booked for AstraZeneca today, go and get it … whether it is Pfizer or AstraZeneca.

Health Minister Greg Hunt echoed Mr Morrison, telling Australians: “If you are eligible and you have not been vaccinated, this is your chance.”

Mr Hunt reported the nation would now have “well over 10 million” doses of the vaccine available this month.

“If you are eligible and you have not been vaccinated, this is your chance,”said Health Minister Greg Hunt. Picture:Rob Leeson.

Mr Morrison also took a swipe at the Queensland Premier after she made comments about the dangers of Covid-19 for unvaccinated children.

Earlier on Friday, Ms Palaszczuk called for a “constructive debate” about vaccinating kids under 12 at her own press conference in Queensland.

“A lot more children are presenting with Covid and a lot more children are ending up in ICU (in the US),” she said.

“I do not want to have that happen here.”

Mr Morrison said there were no immediate plans to open up vaccinations to that age group.

Vaccinations for children under 12 are not currently approved under the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) guidelines.

“I understand someone today said we should be vaccinating under 12s and preparing for vaccinating under 12s,” Mr Morrison said, referring to the Queensland Premier.

“There is not a country in the world that has approved a vaccine for under 12s.

“To hint that that was something that is about to happen or should be happening now I don’t think is very responsible.”

Originally published as Australia secures four million Pfizer doses from UK in vaccine swap deal