Australia's coronavirus vaccination program to start from March

The federal government says Australia is on track to deliver the first vaccines in March.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said it would start with health workers and the elderly, but all Australians would be offered a free vaccine some time in 2021.

The Australian government has purchased tens of million of doses of four different vaccines.

About 30 million doses of the AstraZeneca and Oxford University vaccine - found to have an effectiveness of between 62 and 90 per cent - will be manufactured in Australia.

ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said no decision had yet been made about how the vaccines would be administered, but GPs, pharmacists and nurses would all play a part.

Australian National University infectious disease expert Associate Professor Sanjaya Senanayake said the early stages of a vaccine rollout should be relatively easy.

He said hospitals and aged care facilities would already be well set up to administer the vaccines to staff thanks to flu programs.

However vaccinating the broader population - beyond healthcare workers and the vulnerable - would pose significant logistical challenges.

It is possible governments would set up public vaccination clinics, similar to pop-up COVID testing sites seen across Canberra.

Professor Senanayake said it was likely that not every Australian would receive the same type of COVID vaccine and the rollout would be very staggered.

He said the speed of vaccine development had been unprecedented.

"When this broke out at the start of the year if you told me we'd be possibly getting vaccinations in second quarter of next year ... I would have been flabbergasted," he said.

Australian Medical Association ACT president Antonio Di Dio said GPs should play the main role in the rollout of the program.

He said this would negate the need for new infrastructure or vaccination clinics.

"All around the world, especially in Australia, for the last 70 years vaccinations have been distributed to and by GPs by an amazing workforce," Dr Di Dio said.

"Every year the government buys flu shots and they are distributed very efficiently to almost 88,000 doctors and rolled out incredibly efficiently with incredible record keeping."

ANU epidemiologist Meru Sheel said a vaccination would not be a silver bullet and social distancing would remain a reality of every day life for years to come.

She said initial public health focus would be on vaccinating about 20 per cent of the population, with GPs, Aboriginal health services and possibly pharmacies among the main administrators.

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"What we're optimistic and hopeful about is if we can prevent adverse outcomes in elderly and marginal populations it will give us a little more comfort in opening up economies," Dr Sheel said.

"But this is not going to be a magic bullet. We still don't know what the impact of the vaccine will be in real life, in real populations.

"Until now we're seeing very much controlled clinical trial data.

"We're a long way away from using a vaccine as a way out of the pandemic but I think it's going to help massively."

Ms Stephen-Smith said the ACT would provide full support to the commonwealth government to ensure a safe and effective delivery of the program in the ACT.

"I am confident we will have the full support of the health community when the time comes to roll out vaccinations," she said.

"While no decision has yet been made on where vaccinations will be available, GPs, pharmacists, nurses and other health professionals will all have a role to play in supporting the vaccination program.

"The priority will be vaccinating those who are most at risk of contracting COVID-19 or more vulnerable to the impacts of the virus, including frontline workers and elderly Australians.

"The ACT government will continue to work closely with the commonwealth government, health professionals and the community to ensure we are able to deliver accessible and safe COVID-19 vaccinations and treatments to our community."