Covid-19 vaccines have arrived at Australia's Casey research station in Antarctica, authorities said, allowing expeditioners to be inoculated before they journey back home to a country reopening to the world.

Pfizer Inc vaccines for 27 staff at Australia's Casey Station in Antarctica had arrived, Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley said. Vaccines will also be delivered to its Davis and Mawson research stations, Reuters reported.

Australia has managed to keep its stations on the frozen continent free of the coronavirus, despite its arrival there last December when it became the last of the world's continents to report an outbreak.