Covid 19 coronavirus: Australia receives first batch of Pfizer vaccines

Australia's first doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine have arrived in the country.

The shipment came via plane at Sydney's international airport shortly after midday today before being taken to a secure location.

Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt triumphantly revealed the development saying "the eagle has landed".

"The advice that I have is that 142,000 doses have arrived in Australia," Hunt said.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration now test the vaccines to ensure they meet Australia's strict quality standards.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the country was on track for the most vulnerable Australians to start receiving the vaccine from February 22.

Three in five of the doses will be allocated to the states, while 62,000 doses will be set aside in case there are issues in subsequent weeks.

Priority will be given to hotel quarantine workers that are most likely to come into contact with positive international arrivals.

#BREAKING: The #COVID19 vaccines have touched down in Australia.

The precious cargo will be taken to a mystery Sydney location for storage before being rolled out across the country.

All the details tonight at 6.00pm on #9News pic.twitter.com/wsv0sfIirJ

— 9News Australia (@9NewsAUS) February 15, 2021

At least 30,000 doses will be made available for elderly people within residential care, followed by frontline health workers.

Earlier in the day, opposition health spokesman Mark Butler criticised the government for not rolling the vaccines out sooner.

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

"Today is three weeks since the Therapeutic Goods Administration approve the Pfizer vaccine."

He said critical details, including when Australians would receive the vaccines, remained unclear.