Nor will it say if Dubbo Hospital staff under 50 years of age are opting not to have the AstraZeneca vaccine or if they will be offered the Pfizer vaccine.

On the advice of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, the federal Department of Health is telling Australians the Pfizer vaccine is the preferred vaccine for adults under 50 years of age "at this time".

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But it reports adults under 50 years of age may still choose to receive the AstraZeneca jab if they have weighed up the benefits and the risks.

"This recommendation is made out of an abundance of caution and the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe for the vast majority of people," the department says.

Two Australians have been diagnosed with blood clots after having the AstraZeneca jab.

The Daily Liberal understands some staff under the age of 50 years at Dubbo Hospital have chosen to have their first dose of AstraZeneca.

In response to questions from this newspaper about vaccination of WNSWLHD and Dubbo Hospital staff, a NSW Health spokesman said its phase 1a rollout of the jab was "progressing well with more than 160,000 vaccinations delivered to date".

He said they were providing "vital protection" from the virus for frontline healthcare workers, quarantine workers and their families which in turn protected the wider community from the "risk of the virus being introduced from overseas".

"NSW Health has established Pfizer vaccination hubs at Royal Prince Alfred, Westmead, Liverpool, Wollongong and John Hunter hospitals, and also operates Pfizer vaccination outreach clinics at locations throughout regional NSW from these hubs," the spokesman said.

"People who have already had their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine without any serious adverse effects can be given the second dose, including adults under 50 years."

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