Health Minister Greg Hunt has remained coy on whether the consumer of the vaccine has any choice on the type of vaccine they receive, telling Sky News host Peta Credlin, the choice would increase as Australia received its allotted doses.

“Our medical advisers have looked at a very simple equation and I think we have some of, if not the best, immunisation advisers in the world,” he said.

“There are really two things that come together. As you get older, your risk of a possible side-effect or clotting outcome decreases very very significantly.

“Secondly, as you get older, your risks from complications from COVID-19 – including death – increases dramatically.

“On that basis, the clear advice was – out of an abundance of caution – they would set 50 as the age below which Pfizer was recommended – and above that, AstraZeneca is strongly endorsed as safe and effective.

“And that is a conservative estimate… we accept that medical advice and we have implemented it completely.”