The first batch of Moderna COVID vaccine doses arrived in Italy on Tuesday.
An initial batch of 47,000 doses of the vaccine made by the US company reached the Higher Health Institute (ISS) in Rome.
The doses are now set to be distributed across Italy's regions.
Moderna said its vaccine should be able to protect against catching the virus for at least a year.
Italy is expected to give the Moderna jab to the over-80s first.
Hundreds of thousands of care home residents and staff have already been given the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the first to arrive in Italy.
The AstraZeneca vaccine is expected to follow the Moderna vaccine.
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