All Australians over 50 have access to coronavirus vaccines as health experts move to reassure people the AstraZeneca jab is safe.
From Monday, people in that age group can receive shots at general practice respiratory clinics and state and territory vaccination hubs.
On May 17, the vaccination program will be expanded to GP surgeries, with up to 15.8 million doses available during this phase of the rollout.
Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said regulators and experts were continuing to look carefully at every report of adverse reactions including blood clots.
"My clear message is that the benefit of the vaccine outweighs the risk. People are seeing what's happening in India," he told ABC radio on Monday.
Professor Kelly said the objective of the rollout was to keep Australia safe in navigating the path out of the pandemic.
"An outbreak could happen in Australia so please do not hesitate," he said.
"This is not a compulsory vaccine so people have their choice but waiting until the end of the year is not advised."
Health Minister Greg Hunt said the vaccines would provide an overwhelming protection for the health system.
"Vaccination saves lives and it protects lives. But it's not an absolute prohibition on transmission," he said.
Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations chair Jane Halton said Australia needed to catch up on its vaccination rollout to avoid a major outbreak.
"We need to get on with this," she told the Nine Network.
"The only way that we get out of the pandemic is that we either get the disease or get vaccinated."
Ms Halton was a commissioner on the government's COVID-19 advisory board which was wound up on Monday.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia's strong health and economic circumstances made it the right time for the board to finish its work.
"We have moved past the emergency phase of the COVID-19 response and are now on the path of economic recovery," he said in a statement.
Labor frontbencher Bill Shorten said there were businesses still doing it tough despite some parts of the economy rebounding strongly.
"The Morrison government just wants to move on and forget about COVID," he told reporters in Canberra.
"How can anyone think COVID is over until we have vaccinations for everyone?"
