Britain sends Australia 4 million Pfizer doses in swap deal

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Britain is rushing 4 million Pfizer doses to Australia, where authorities are scrambling to bolster supplies of that COVID-19 vaccine and protect the population against a rapidly spreading outbreak of the delta variant. The swap deal announced Friday follows Australian deals with Singapore and Poland to address a short-term Pfizer shortage. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the British shots would leave Britain on Saturday and double Australia’s Pfizer supplies in September. Morrison said Australia was keen to make more vaccine deals with other governments. Australia has particularly low vaccination levels compared to other wealthy nations, with only 36% of Australians aged 16 and older fully vaccinated.