Singapore is to send half a million Coronavirus vaccine doses to Australia as part of an exchange that would see Canberra return the favor in December.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he was glad to support Australia’s vaccination programme.

“Countries must be united in the battle to quell the pandemic so that we can all move into the new normal,’’ the prime minister said.

Lee’s Australian counterpart Scott Morrison said the jabs “will be distributed next week to states and territories on an equal population basis.’’

He said around eight in 10 Singaporeans have received two vaccine doses, according to the Health Ministry, compared to around 35 percent of Australians over the age of 16.

Singapore possessed sufficient supplies to meet our immediate needs, according to the Foreign Ministry.

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It said the deal would allow the two countries to support each other in optimizing their respective schedules for vaccinating the populations.

The idea was that when Australia sends its 500,000 doses to Singapore later this year, they can be used as booster shots or for incoming migrant workers as the country reopens.