Australia has asked the European Union (EU) to allow exports of the entire 3.8 million Covid-19 vaccine doses the country had pre-ordered, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, after the EU denied blocking supply.

“If it is indeed the position of the European Union that they are happy for these export licences to be granted and their 3.8 million doses to come to Australia, then we would encourage them to do that,” Morrison told reporters in Canberra.

Australia has blamed the delay of 3.1 million AstraZeneca doses, that were scheduled to be delivered by the end of March, for falling behind in its own vaccination programme, Reuters reported.