• The Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine has been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, paving the way for Australia’s vaccine rollout.
• The vaccine program is expected to begin in late February, according to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Health Minister Greg Hunt.
• Australia has already secured the rights to 10 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, one of several vaccines slated for use in the nation’s immunisation program.
• Visit Business Insider Australia’s homepage for more stories.

The Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine has been provisionally approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), making it the first vaccine greenlit for use in Australia’s long-awaited immunisation program.

In a statement released Monday, the regulatory body said the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine meets “the high safety, efficacy and quality standards required for use in Australia.”

The vaccine is now approved for use in the prevention of COVID-19 in Australians aged 16 and older.

Australia has already secured ten million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, and the jab is expected to be a cornerstone of the nation’s broader immunisation program.

In a joint statement, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Health Minister Greg Hunt today said a “priority group” of Australians is slated to receive the first round of vaccines from late February.

Remarking on temporary production delays in response to “extraordinary global demand,” Morrison and Hunt left open the possibility the vaccine rollout could begin in March.

In addition to the provisional approval, Pfizer will be required to provide the TGA with ongoing data on the vaccine’s safety and long-term efficacy.

The TGA will also test each batch of the vaccine before they are administered.

Trials have proven the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to be 95% effective in preventing symptomatic cases of COVID-19.

However, the TGA today acknowledged that further research is required to determine whether the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine also “prevents transmission or asymptomatic disease.”

Morrison said the regulatory rubber-stamp is a pivotal moment in Australia’s battle against the pandemic.

“Today’s approval is another big step for our community, particularly in the protection of our most vulnerable people,” Morrison said.

Follow Business Insider Australia on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.