The AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved for use in Australia by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

More than 50 million doses of the vaccine have been purchased, and it will be imported at first, then produced locally in Melbourne.

The vaccine requires two jabs to be effective, which will be administered 12 weeks apart.

There are now two COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in Australia.

More than 142,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine arrived in Australia on Monday, ahead of the beginning of the national vaccine rollout next week.

Quarantine workers and frontline health workers will be the first to get the jab, along with aged and disability care staff and residents.