'Can't wait to tell all my friends': Canberra's first aged care residents receive COVID-19 jab

"I would recommend that everybody gets the vaccine to keep us all safe, that's the main priority," the 86-year-old said.

Ms Baker would be one of 1000 people in Canberra to receive the jab this week across aged care and frontline health services. Canberra nurse Maddy Williams, 22, became the first person to receive the Pfizer jab in the ACT on Monday.

Residents and staff of 13 aged care facilities across Canberra's South would be the among that group.

Uniting Care Mirinjani Weston was one of the first centres to start the rollout on Monday.

Uniting Mirinjani service manager Sharon Kickett said there had been a strong uptake from residents and staff willing to have the vaccine.

"The residents were all very positive about receiving them," she said.

"They were all lining up to get it done and we had a really quick uptake of consent. One resident said to me, they just wanted to have their life back to normal."

Brian Black, 70, was also in line to get the jab on Monday morning. He felt privileged to be among the first in the country.

"I can't wait to tell all my friends that I was number five in the ACT to receive the vaccine!" he said.

Visitors were not allowed at the centres while the vaccines were being administered.

The aged care facilities also part of the first week of the ACT's rollout include: Jindalee Aged Care Residence, RSL LifeCare Curtin, Goodwin Village Farrer, Mountain View Aged Care, Warrigal Stirling Aged Care, Adria Village, Lifeline Care, St Andrew's Village and Southern Cross Care Ozanam.

Phase 1a of the roll out includes aged care residents and staff, frontline health, quarantine and border workers.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said last week about 240 aged care facilties across 190 towns nationwide would be vaccinated this week.

Mr Hunt said the first phase, expected to take six weeks, would eventually include every aged care centre in the country.

Uniting ACT/NSW chief executive Tracey Burton said COVID-19 had severely disrupted the lives of elderly and vulnerable people and hoped the vaccine would be "a new beginning".

"It has been an exceptionally difficult year for older and vulnerable Australians and those who care for them," she said.

"While this is far from the end of COVID-19 and we still need to maintain all COVID protocols, we are finally on track to more normal lives."