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CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia said on Wednesday it will ask the European Union to release 1 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine to help Papua New Guinea (PNG) battle a dangerous outbreak that authorities fear could spread to other parts of the region.
The request could inflame existing tensions between Canberra and Brussels amid claims of vaccine nationalism after the EU recently blocked an Australia-bound shipment of the doses.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday said the vaccines were contracted to Australia and were now badly needed to contain a surge in coronavirus cases in the Pacific island nation, parts of which are just a short boat ride from Australian territory.
Australians able to book vaccine appointment online from today17/03/2021|2min
Australians will be able to book their first jab of the AstraZeneca vaccine online as a website is set to go live today - detailing about 1,000 GPs who will be offering the vaccine.
The list will grow to 4,000 at the peak of the rollout – with GPs currently provided with 50 doses per week, which will also be boosted once local production at Melbourne’s CSL manufacturing plant ramps up.
In the next phase, Australians over 70, Indigenous Australians over 55, health care workers and people with chronic health conditions will be eligible for the jab.
Australia gives COVID-19 shots to virus-hit Papua New Guinea
ROD McGUIRK, Associated Press
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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks to the media during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Wednesday, March 17, 2021. Morrison said Australian government is ramping up its COVID-19 vaccination support for Papua New Guinea in a bid to contain a concerning wave of infections in a near-neighbor. (Lukas Coch/AAP Image via AP)Lukas Coch/AP
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) Australia will send COVID-19 vaccines from its own supply to its near-neighbor Papua New Guinea and will ask AstraZeneca to send more to try to contain a concerning wave of infections, Australia’s prime minister said Wednesday.
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Australia announces support for Papua New Guinea s Covid response
By IANS |
Published on
Wed, Mar 17 2021 10:51 IST |
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Australian Prime Minister Scott (Xinhua/Bai Xu/IANS). Image Source: IANS News
Canberra, March 17 : Australia will provide support to Papua New Guinea (PNG) to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Wednesday that the Australian government will send 8,000 AstraZeneca vaccines and provide essential personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies to PNG, Xinhua reported.
The Australian government will also contact the European Union seeking access to 1 million AstraZeneca vaccines that it has already ordered and send them to PNG. We ve contracted them. We ve paid for them and we want to see those vaccines come here so we can support our nearest neighbour, PNG, to deal with their urgent needs in our region, he told reporters in Canberra.