Australia’s leading vaccine advisory group gave the green light for the age group to get the Pfizer vaccine, with the rollout set to begin from January 10.

The decision from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation means 2.3 million children will be eligible for the vaccine, with doses recommended to be spaced eight weeks apart.

ATAGI member Professor Allen Cheng said the decision to approve the vaccine for the cohort was made following child vaccine data from the US.

He said while children would get normal vaccine side effects such as a sore arm, the doses were set to protect children from infection.

“We took that couple of extra weeks to just see what happened in the US – they’ve vaccinated more than five million children,” Professor Cheng told ABC Radio on Friday.

“We had a chat to their authorities and they said they hadn’t seen any unexpected safety signals, so that’s a lot more reassuring.”

Vaccine bookings will be able to be made for the age group from late December, with GPs and pharmacies expected to deliver most of the jabs.

Professor Cheng said the vaccines for children were critical to help prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

“The choice is between getting infected or getting vaccinated,” he said.

Advice from ATAGI about giving children aged between six and 11 the Moderna jab is expected over coming weeks.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia would be one of the first countries in the world to offer the COVID-19 vaccine for children.

“As a parent, there are no more important decisions that you make than those about the health and wellbeing of your children,” he told reporters in Sydney.

“This is another important step forward in our vaccination program.”

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the decision on Pfizer would give parents confidence and choice.

“It protects our children, it protects their families, and it protects their schools and so these are really important steps,” he said.

“This has been a challenge for all of us but I tell you what, Australians have risen to that challenge.”

It comes ahead of the last national cabinet meeting for the year on Friday.

All jurisdictions except Western Australia have reached the 80 per cent double vaccinated rate.

“My position hasn’t changed for all premiers and chief ministers and to implement the national plan we’ve agreed to,” Morrison said.

“We’ve got one more state to get through that gate.”

WA is at 79 per cent fully vaccinated for those aged 16 and over.

It comes amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in NSW, with 516 new infections in the latest reporting period, the highest daily figure since the end of the state’s lockdown.

There were 1206 cases and two deaths in Victoria.

Six cases were reported in the ACT, while Queensland also had nine locally acquired infections, six of those on the Gold Coast.

The spike in cases comes just days before Queensland reopens its borders to virus hotspots.