Australia's coronavirus vaccination program begins crucial week as first shipments to arrive

Australians will be getting their first jabs of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in coming days, with the Government confirming the shipment is on its way from Europe.

Hotel quarantine workers are considered the highest priority because they pose the greatest risk of spreading the virus to the community.

Health care, aged care and quarantine workers will be among the first to be vaccinated from February 22.

There were concerns earlier this year over whether the European Union would block vaccines from being shipped to Australia, with many member countries yet to receive their agreed upon stock.

The Pfizer vaccine will be delivered through hospital "hubs" across Australia, and in residential aged care and disability care facilities.

Australia has acquired 20 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which remains the only vaccine to be approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

The vaccine has to be kept between -60 and -90 degrees Celsius.

It forms part of a $31 million plan to disseminate public information related to the coronavirus vaccine.

The vaccine program is expected to be completed in October, when everyone who wants the vaccine will have been given access to it.

"And if confidence increases there's an increase in uptake".

Australia has secured more than 150 million doses of various vaccines.

"We're now into the second half of February and still not a single Australian has received a single dose of Covid-19 vaccine".

Australia is also part of the worldwide COVAX facility, which provides access to a range of vaccines in order to immunise up to half of the population.