The doses reaching Dilli add to the 135,000 that the Australian government has sent in previously, as part of an expanded program to support vaccination and the response to COVID-19 in the Pacific and Timor-Leste.
In a joint statement, Australian Foreign Minister Marissa Payne and International and Pacific Development Minister Jade Cesselja announced this week that Australia would send 15 million doses of the vaccine to the region by mid-2222.
“This allocation of up to 15 million doses to the Pacific and Timor-Leste will enable Australia to fulfill our commitment to ensuring that countries in the Pacific and Timor-Leste receive comprehensive vaccine coverage.“, refers to the note.
So far, Australia has provided more than half a million doses of vaccines to countries in the Pacific and Timor-Leste, as part of a support program that includes the equipment, funding and technical assistance needed for vaccination.
“Health security and economic reform in our region are strongly linked to Australia. As partners, neighbors and friends, we remain committed to this ongoing partnership as we continue to support regional resilience and lay the groundwork for our region’s economic recovery.“, the statement says.
As of 6 July, the Timorese authorities had already administered about 245,000 doses out of the total 359,800 received in the country so far.
