Pfizer vaccine rollout date confirmed as first doses arrive in Australia
The first shipment of Pfizer coronavirus vaccines landed in Australia shortly after midday today, Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced.
Comparing the arrival of the doses to man stepping foot on the moon, Mr Hunt opened his announcement by saying "the eagle has landed".
There are now 142,000 doses on Australian soil.
LIVE UPDATES: Vaccine rollout date confirmed
The first doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine have landed at Sydney Airport. 9News
The first doses are due to be administered on February 22. 9News
By the end of February, approximately 60,000 Australians will have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Mr Hunt said the priority for the initial vaccine schedule is to administer the doses to high priority people such as hotel quarantine workers, aged care residents and workers, and frontline healthcare workers.
Some of the doses that arrived today will be sectioned off for further testing by the TGA.
The vaccinations are being transported to a secret location where they will be stored. 9News
How will Australia's vaccine rollout work?
Stage 1A: Elderly and disability care residents, carers and staff. Frontline healthcare workers and Border Force Workers
Stage 1B: Australians aged over 80, followed by those over 70 and those who are immunocompromised
Stage Two: Over 60s and over 50s, Indigenous Australians
Stage Three: General population
Stage Four: Potential for vaccinations to be administered to children
Australia's vaccine rollout is broken down into phases. Graphic: Tara Blancato
How much will the vaccine rollout cost?
Mr Hunt said the vaccine rollout plan will cost the country more than $6.3 billion.
He said Australia has deliberately paid a premium to set up onshore vaccine manufacturing to secure reliable vaccine supply.
"The two most important decisions for Australia during the course of this pandemic: the 1st of February 2020, the closure of the border with China," Mr Hunt said.
"August 2020, the decision to invest in onshore manufacturing by CSL of the AstraZeneca vaccine."
Is the vaccine safe? How will it be monitored?
Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly impressed upon the media how closely authorities will be watching the safety of the vaccine as it is rolled out.
"This is not a study. This is real life now. We already have the approval of the Pfizer vaccine," Professor Kelly said.
"We will be, of course, the TGA will be continuing to very carefully and in real time looking at safety issues if they were to occur."
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