Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, says the first COVID-19 vaccines should be available to Australians in mid-to-late February.
Previously, the Federal Government had been planning to start rolling out vaccines in March.
Mr Morrison says the plan is to have 80,000 people a week receive the Pfizer vaccination, with a target of having 4 million people inoculated by the end of March.
High-priority groups will be first in line for the jab, including quarantine and border officials, frontline health workers and residents in aged and disability care.
“We know what we know and we’ll base our timetables on that,” Mr Morrison said. “There have been no delays.”
“There has been the necessary swiftness that has been asked of the TGA and the health officials.”
The Therapeutic Goods Administration is expected to grant approval to the Pfizer vaccine later this month, with other vaccines to follow.
The Pfizer vaccine has already been deployed overseas, with some countries granting emergency authorisation for its use.
This is a developing story. More to come.
