Australia has secured another 85 million doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine to be used as booster shots from next February - as all Sydneysiders over the age of 18 were urged to 'strongly consider' getting the AstraZeneca jab.
The federal government said the supply deal with Pfizer-BioNTech will ensure every Australian can receive an additional booster shot on top of their initial two doses.
The agreement includes 60 million doses of the jab arriving on Australian shores in the first quarter of 2022 and another 25 million in 2023.
The timeline is based on evidence which suggests those who receive the Covid-19 vaccine will need a booster shot within a year of receiving their first two doses.
Australia will receive another 85 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to be administered as booster shots starting from next February (pictured is a vaccination centre in Sydney)
The supply deal - which will also cover any alterations to the vaccine as new strains of the virus emerge - means the Australian government will have secured 125 million doses of the Pfizer jab by 2023.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the deal means Australia had 'turned the corner' in its national vaccine roll-out, which has been plagued by delays and supply shortages.
Only 15 per cent of the eligible Australian population is so far fully vaccinated against the virus.
'This is a significant shot in the arm for Australia's vaccine supply,' he said. 'Every Australian will have access to a booster shot if it is needed.'
The agreement comes as Australia's top immunisation advisory body urged all adults in Sydney to 'strongly consider' getting the AstraZeneca shot amid the city's spiralling outbreak of the highly-contagious Delta strain.
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) on Saturday night said it was changing its advice in response to the city's coronavirus outbreak, which grew by another 163 infections overnight.
Under the deal secured by the Federal Government, 60 million doses of the Pfizer jab will arrive in the beginning of next year while another 25 million will touch down in Australia in 2023
ATAGI said it was also advising Australians living in areas with coronavirus outbreaks to shorten the time between their first and second doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to four to eight weeks instead of the usual 12.
