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Vaccine swap deal announced between Singapore and Australia
Singapore and Australia have agreed to a vaccine swap deal which is set to boost the global rollout of COVID jab’s
Singapore is set to send half a million Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses to Australia as part of a “vaccine swap” between the two countries, delivering a boost to the nation’s vaccination program.
500,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine that are set to soon expire, will be sent to Australia in the first week of September, and then will be rolled out across Australia from the second week.
The doses will be distributed equally across each state of Australia
Australia’s Federal government will then deliver half a million Pfizer vaccines back to Singapore in December, when Australia is expected to have ample supplies.
“We need to vaccinate the whole country and we need for those doses to go from one end of the country to the other and for them to be taken up,”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
Singapore has reached a vaccine milestone
Singapore has already fully vaccinated well over 80 per cent of its population against COVID-19 — making it one of the most inoculated countries in the world — and the nation has officially begun the process of easing restrictions.
In a statement, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it might use the 500,000 returned doses from Australia for booster shots later in the year.
“These returned doses would come in more useful for Singapore then, potentially as booster doses for specific segments of our population that could benefit from such boosting,”
the ministry said.
Mr Morrison has hailed the vaccine swap as an example of international cooperation, stating that Australia and Singapore would continue to work together to make sure vaccines were used before they expire.
The extra doses are expected to further speed up the vaccine rollout in Australia
September is expected to be a major month of vaccinations for Australia with the Moderna jab to officially be rolled out, joining the already available vaccines; Pfizer and AstraZeneca.