Australia is set to spend half a billion dollars on an “advance purchase” of COVID-19 vaccines to help its regional neighbours bounce back from the pandemic.
The Morrison government says lending a hand to Pacific and Southeast Asian nations will assist Australia’s economic recovery and health security.
“The Indo-Pacific region is the engine of the new global economy,” Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne said in a statement on Saturday.
“Ensuring it can recover quickly will stimulate economic activity and restore jobs at home and abroad.”
The purchases will be made from a range of…
