Australian PM Morrison gets Covid-19 vaccine in 'massive step' toward normal

Australia's Covid-19 vaccine rollout began Sunday, with top officials among a small group receiving the first jabs a day before the vaccination programme starts in earnest.

The rollout more broadly commences on Monday, targeting health and border control workers, aged care residents and their carers in the first phase.

On Saturday, thousands of people attended anti-vaccine rallies in major Australian cities to protest what they incorrectly believed to be mandatory vaccinations.

Donned in his Australia flag face mask and preparing for his injection, Mr Morrison said: "I'm ready to go, just like the country, ".

The Minister also revealed he had directed his office not to advertise with Facebook while the social media platform was blocking news content for Australian users.

"This vaccination program launches us down our path out of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021".

Up to 60,000 Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine doses will be given in the next week alone, according to Health Minister Greg Hunt, and the government aims to have all willing adults vaccinated against coronavirus by October.

"Every Australian will be given the opportunity to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, free of charge that has been proven to be safe and effective by our own medical experts".

"We're here making some very important points, that it's safe, that it's important and we need to start with those who are most vulnerable and on the front line".

Australian PM Morrison gets Covid-19 vaccine in 'massive step' toward normal

There were no locally acquired COVID-19 cases reported in Victoria for the second consecutive day after three people in the same family were recorded COVID-positive last week.

Under the Australian Government's plan, quarantine and border workers and aged care residents are on track to be vaccinated by April 2021.

The first Pfizer doses were originally due to be administered tomorrow, but Health Minister Greg Hunt told the ABC's Insiders program this morning the small group would be vaccinated today.

"I'll re-affirm that with the secretary today, but we've already done that with my office, and I re-affirmed yesterday that there has been none commissioned or instituted since this dispute arose". "You can find it at australia.gov.au", Minister Hunt said.

The nation's inoculation drive starts with the Pfizer vaccine and will include AstraZeneca Plc's vaccine from March.

"We would also like to thank the government and the Colombian people for the confidence that they have placed in the Sinovac vaccine", the ambassador said.

The number of hospital-based vaccination clinics will increase as more doses of our approved vaccines arrive in Australia.

This came ahead of the national rollout of the coronavirus vaccine from Monday.