Scott Morrison backs Melbourne pub after TGA bans its creative idea to encourage COVID jabs

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has backed a Melbourne pub’s bid to offer free beers to people who get vaccinated against COVID-19, after the Therapeutic Goods Administration banned them from continuing the deal.

The Prince Alfred Hotel in Port Melbourne began offering free pints for people who got the jab last week when a pop-up vaccination clinic opened nearby at the Port Melbourne Town Hall.

“My wife and I went and got our jabs done and we said ‘Let’s get a few more people in Port Melbourne to do this’,” publican Tom Streater told Stephen Quartermain and Emily Power, filling in for Ross and Russel.

“The response was great. We had quite a few claimed.

“If we’ve done our little bit to get a few more people vaccinated by raising awareness and providing an incentive I thought that was a pretty good outcome for us.”

But the pub received a call from the Therapeutic Goods Administration on Wednesday telling them to stop the deal.

“The TGA gave us a call and said there’s a whole lot of guidelines that govern what you can and can’t do to incentivise vaccination,” Mr Streater said.

“We had a read and it’s been determined we can’t keep offering a free pint so we’re going to have to come up with something else.”

In a twist, Scott Morrison has thrown his support behind the pub this morning.

“In these circumstances, the national interest is to get vaccinated. So the Prince Alfred down in Melbourne, good on you for getting behind it. We’ll get it sorted, common sense will prevail. Cheers to the PA,” he said.

Press PLAY below to hear how the beer for jabs initiative went

Image: Prince Alfred Port Melbourne / Facebook