Four million Pfizer doses in Australia this week under swap with UK

Four million additional doses of Pfizer will be sent to Australia this month under a vaccine swap deal with the United Kingdom.

"There are four million reasons to be hopeful today," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

"The plane is on the tarmac now. It will be leaving tomorrow."

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The deal will see Australia double its number of Pfizer doses this month.

"This means from Downing Street to Down Under, we are doubling down on what the Pfizer doses are here in Australia this month," Mr Morrison said.

"This will enable us to bring forward significantly the opportunity for Australia to open up again under the national plan."

The doses will be distributed to states and territories on a per capita basis. The deal does not mean Australia gets more doses, but brings forward the number available now.

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The Pfizer doses will be distributed via state-run vaccine hubs as well as local GP clinics.

Mr Morrison expressed his gratitude to the UK.

"I want to thank very, very much Prime Minister (Boris) Johnson," he said.

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

He said the deal had been made with some "very late night discussions".

"I told you I would leave no stone unturned and I can tell you I've been turning over some stones in recent times," Mr Morrison said.

"We are now at the point where 80 per cent of over 50s have had their first dose."

Australia will be giving back its four million doses to the UK in December as part of its vaccine swap.

Mr Morrison said the swap was "a good deal between mates".

"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."

"This supports their program when it comes to boosters and other things of that nature, it supports our program now."

'Four million doses of hope'

Health Minister Greg Hunt referred to the Pfizer vaccine swap as "four million doses of hope for Australia".

"The burden and balance of vaccination in Australia will have moved forward two months from October and November to August and September," he said.

"This month, all up, there will be well over 10 million doses available."

The includes nine million Pfizer doses, as well as the million doses of Moderna scheduled to arrive at the end of the month.

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"So this means that every Australian, every Australian, will be able to come forward as early as possible to be vaccinated if they have not yet," Mr Hunt said.

Mr Morrison urged Australians to keep coming forward to get their vaccines, particularly emphasising the AstraZeneca jabs.

Half of all vaccines administered in Australia thus far have been AstraZeneca.

"I want to continue to encourage everyone to go and continue getting their AstraZeneca jabs, particularly those who are over the age of 60," he said.

"Let's keep this going, Australia, because of these rates, we are really going to be able to hit the mark that we all want to hit in the weeks and months that are ahead."