Scott Morrison to receive Pfizer immunisation today

Mr Morrison and Mrs Malysiak were part of a small group being vaccinated at Castle Hill in Sydney on Sunday before the broader rollout from Monday – including aged care residents, aged care staff and some frontline health workers.

There was a round of applause for Mrs Malysiak as she received her vaccination. Born in Kosimszko in Poland, she emigrated to Australia and ran a corner store with her husband.

Back in a shirt and jacket after receiving his first COVID-19 vaccine, Mr Morrison thanked everyone involved in preparing for “the biggest vaccination effort our country has ever seen”.

“This is a historic day for Australia,” he said. “From tomorrow, tens of thousands of Australians over the course of the next week can confidently come forward from those key priority groups that have been defined, to ensure that we move into this next phase of how we’ve been preparing and dealing with COVID-19,” he said.

“I have by my own example today, joined by the Chief Nurse … and the Chief Medical Officer of our country, together with those Australians who are in the top priority of this vaccination program to say to you Australia’s. It’s safe. It’s important.”

There were about a dozen patients lined up waiting for the vaccine in the crowded waiting room along with journalists and camera operators.

‘I encourage all Australians when your turn comes … get one of those vaccines that’s going to protect you, your families, and the whole of Australia.’

Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly

Second to be given the vaccine was aged care resident John Healy, followed by disability support resident Brett Rasmussen.

A nurse and aged care nurse were fourth and fifth, followed by Dr Nigel Grebert who is GRPC testing collector at Castle Hill Medical Centre.

Number seven was disability care worker Milagros Thomas; number eight was Australian Border Force quarantine worker Alysha Eyre and ninth was Army quarantine officer Corporal Boyd Chatillon.

Lastly, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Professor Alison McMillan, Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly and then Prime Minister Scott Morrison received their vaccines.

Professor Kelly said he would have happily received either vaccine. “This is the first that was available and so the plan was always that the Prime Minister, myself, and Professor McMillan would be the first to get that first vaccine.

“I can absolutely guarantee that if that first vaccine had been AstraZeneca, I would have had that one.

“I encourage all Australians when your turn comes, as some of us have been privileged enough to do today, to take that opportunity to line up and get one of those vaccines that’s going to protect you, your families, and the whole of Australia.”

Phase 1a of the rollout begins this week, with residents across 240 aged care facilities to start rolling up their sleeves, alongside quarantine and border workers, and frontline health staff.

Sixteen hospital hubs across the country will vaccinate the quarantine, border and health workers, while an army of nurses will travel 190 towns in urban and regional areas to start vaccinating elderly aged care residents.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said he felt “very emotional” as the vaccinations began. He said he will receive the AstraZeneca vaccine in the coming weeks, alongside federal health department secretary Professor Brendan Murphy.

“Today is the first round of vaccines for Australia and, ultimately, that’s about hope and protection for Australians,” he said.

Both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines were approved by Australia’s medical regulator, in late January and last week respectively, paving the way for the vaccine rollout to begin.

Mr Hunt said it was important for “key leaders” to show their confidence in the vaccines by receiving their first doses at the start of the rollout.

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“There was a very strong focus on the need for key leaders, not the Parliament, not the cabinet, not even the leadership group, but a cross party group to provide that confidence,” he said.

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese will also be vaccinated this week, and Mr Hunt said two other members of the opposition as well as Greens leader Adam Bandt have been invited to get their first doses in coming days as well.

“Many people are worried ‘has this been too quick’? And we have to show that it’s been full thorough assessment, and we believe in the safety ourselves,” he said.