Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has defended the hold up of Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine supply, saying 3.1 million vaccines were not supplied to Australia. 

The federal government argues the rollout has been hampered by supply issues overseas.

But overnight, the European Union pushed back against claims it had blocked shipments.

“We had requested half a million of the vaccines to come to Australia, the EU told us to reduce the request down to a quarter of a million that was subsequently blocked,” Mr Frydenberg told Scott Emerson.

“3.1 million vaccines didn’t turn up here in Australia but we are manufacturing the vaccine through CSL under licence with AstraZeneca here in Australia.

“What the EU has been saying, both privately and publicly, is that they want to prioritise their own population.”

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