Australia to receive 4million extra doses of Covid-19 vaccine Pfizer from UK in swap deal

Australia will get 4million doses of the Covid-19 Pfizer vaccine from the UK in a landmark swap deal negotiated by Scott Morrison and Boris Johnson.

Mr Morrison said the doses were ‘on the tarmac’ ready to leave London and would be distributed in the next few weeks, doubling the amount of vaccines arriving in Australia this month.  

‘This means from Downing Street to Down Under, we are doubling down on what the Pfizer doses are here in Australia,’ Mr Morrison said before later adding ‘thanks Boris, I owe you a beer’. 

On Thursday Daily Mail Australia revealed Mr Morrison was on the cusp of clinching his third international vaccine deal after previous agreements with Poland and Singapore but was not expecting any help from US President Joe Biden. 

The vaccines will be distributed between the states and territories on a per capita basis and in return Australia will send 4million Pfizer doses to London in December to assist with the UK’s booster program.

‘It is a good deal because it makes the most of the doses that they have now, which we need. And the doses that we will have later that they will need,’ Mr Morrison said. 

‘So this is just a good deal and it’s a good deal between mates. 

‘I want to thank very, very much Prime Minister Johnson. He and I started discussing this some time ago,’ Mr Morrison added. 

‘I want to thank him for his personal commitment to this. And his great friendship with Australia.’

The Prime Minister said the deal was also helped by his friendship with UK health minister Sajid Javid who was promoted to the role in June.

Mr Javid’s predecessor Matt Hancock was sacked after he was caught on camera having an affair at work with his glamorous aide. 

‘I want to thank also health minister Sajid Javid who I have known for some time… and his ability to progress with Greg Hunt, our minister, and I thank Greg and all of his team,’ Mr Morrison 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.’ 

Luka Wain, 17, (right) and 15 year old brother Darcy receive their Pfizer vaccinations at the Royal Exhibition Building COVID19 Vaccination Hub in Melbourne on Thursday

Last month the government bought 1million Pfizer doses from Poland and secured 500,000 from Singapore in a swap deal.  

The latest deal with the UK means there will now be 10million MRNA vaccine doses entering Australia this month, including 9million Pfizer and 1million Moderna in the second half of September. 

‘This means that every Australian will be able to come forward as early as possible to be vaccinated if they have not yet,’ Health Minister Greg Hunt said. 

So far 36 per cent of over 16s are fully vaccinated and 60 per cent have had one dose. 

The announcement came two hours before a national cabinet meeting in which the state premiers planned to discuss beefing up hospital capacity to deal with increased numbers of Covid patients. 

New South Wales recorded and all-time high 1,4131 cases on Friday and 12 deaths as Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned of higher numbers in coming weeks. 

‘The worst number of cases is likely to occur in the next fortnight,’ she told reporters.

‘Because after that time the number of vaccinations we’ve put into the community, especially in those local government areas of concern, will start having effect.’ 

On Friday morning Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk insisted she would stick to the national re-opening plan which allows Australia to live with Covid-19 when 70 per cent of over 16s are vaccinated.

She had previously come under fire for raising fears that children under 12, who cannot be vaccinated due to their age, would be vulnerable if she opened her borders – even though health experts say children normally only suffer a mild illness. 

The Prime Minister has been scrambling to secure extra Pfizer from allies around the world after only initially ordering 10million doses in November last year.  

Police patrol Sydney’s Bondi Beach in 22C heat on Friday morning

America is described as Australia’s most important ally but President Joe Biden has not handed Canberra a single Covid-19 vaccine.

The President has already donated more than 110million vaccines around the world – including 2.5million to Canada and 3.5million to Argentina – but his focus is on saving lives, protecting America’s neighbours and assisting poor countries, meaning wealthy Australia is way down his donation list.

Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said it was embarrassing that Australia had to ask allies for help.

‘The fact that a country with Australia’s resources has to go around asking other countries for vaccines is another sign that this is the biggest government failure in memory,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.

‘It all comes back to Mr Morrison doing too little, too late – failing to order enough vaccines last year – and it’s Australians paying the price.’

The government initially ordered 10million Pfizer vaccines before upping this to 40million due to changing health advice around AstraZeneca. 

Australia has ordered 85million Pfizer vaccines to arrive from early next year to act as booster shots.

Residents are seen exercising outdoor at Parramatta park in Sydney on Friday