Territorians aged 60 and older living in urban Darwin can now access the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, Health Minister Natasha Fyles says.
The change means anyone over the age of 12 will be eligible for the Pfizer vaccine across the Northern Territory from 9:00am on Friday.
"This means every Territorian can be vaccinated by Christmas," Ms Fyles said.
She said the decision to offer Pfizer shots to over-60s in Darwin was aimed at vaccinating NT residents as quickly as possible.
The interval between the first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine is three to six weeks apart, while the preferred interval for AstraZeneca doses is 12 weeks apart.
Territorians aged over 60 in urban Darwin who have received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine must receive a second dose of the AstraZeneca shot, she said.
"I want to reassure people … the clinical advice is that AstraZeneca is safe, it is effective," she said.
"It is so important you get that second dose of AstraZeneca."
Despite the new expansion of Pfizer vaccine eligibility, Ms Fyles said it was too early to say whether the NT would reopen its borders by Christmas.
"It would be wonderful if every Territorian is vaccinated, and then we can start to make those decisions," Ms Fyles said.
She said the NT government would be better placed to answer that question by the end of October, following the release of the Doherty Institute's Territory-specific modelling.
"The virus is seeping out of New South Wales and we want Territorians to be protected against coronavirus," Ms Fyles said.
"The vaccine is available. The appointments are available. Please don't delay this."
