UK Pfizer deal a shot in arm

PRIME Minister Scott Morrison has announced Australia will receive four million additional doses of the Pfizer vaccine after signing a major deal with the UK.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Mr Morrison said the doses would arrive in Australia this month.

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

“Because 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.”

He said the first batch of the additional doses would arrive on Saturday.

“The plane is on the tarmac now,” 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.”

The PM expressed gratitude to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson for agreeing to send the extra doses to Australian shores.

“I want to thank (Mr Johnson) for his personal commitment to this,” he said.

“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.”

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

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

Mr Morrison said it was a good deal “between mates” because of Australia’s urgent need for vaccines now, while the UK needed booster doses later.