WA Premier Mark McGowan says people under 40 should not get the AstraZeneca COVID vaccination, based on health advice.
He said advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) was clear.
"That is the advice we have and that is the national advice from the immunisation experts," he said.
"Clearly, the Commonwealth has taken a different approach."
His comments echo those made by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, who said on Wednesday Queenslanders should follow the state's health advice not to get AstraZeneca if they are under 40.
He said while the Prime Minister maintained it was an individual choice, "our health advice is they shouldn't do it."
However, he said it was a "difficult thing" to roll out a vaccination program amidst a pandemic.
"I don't want to be too negative about it," he said.
"We just need to open up to more outlets for people to get vaccinated, GPs, pharmacies as quickly as possible and we need to allow people over 60 to get Pfizer.
"There is huge hesitancy amongst people over 60 and I understand that."
Not recommended, WA health chief says
WA's Chief Health Officer Andrew Robertson said the state would continue to rely on the ATAGI advice and not recommend AstraZeneca for anyone under 60.
"WA Health will not be providing AstraZeneca vaccine through its vaccine clinics to those under 60 years of age at this stage," Dr Robertson told the ABC in a statement.
"If people under 40 are thinking of getting the vaccine, they are encouraged to discuss their options with their own GP.
"Vaccination is the best way to protect our community from COVID-19."
Doctors confused on AstraZeneca
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) WA Chair Dr Sean Stevens said there was confusion amongst the state's GPs.
"The advice of ATAGI is somewhat at odds with what the Prime Minister has mentioned," he said.
"The advice is different state to state.
"I think what is key is that there needs to be that discussion with a GP.
"GPs are a bit concerned and there is a bit of confusion there amongst our patients and even amongst the profession."
Dr Stevens said there had been "patchy" interest in the AstraZeneca vaccine by under-40s since the announcement.
"Some clinics are saying they are getting a lot of inquiries, other clinics are saying not much at all," he said.
"Having the conversation with your general practitioner is actually good advice and I think that is what the Prime Minister is saying."
Dr Stevens said WA GPs were frustrated they were not given prior notice of the announcement.
"There needs to be a better coordinated discussion and, as much as possible, these announcements need to be given in advance to GPs who are on the front line doing the vaccinations before they are given out in a press conference, so that we are prepared to answer the questions that come from our patients," he said.
"People are frustrated, there has been so many twists and turns and changes, there is change fatigue out there."
Dr Stevens gave 35-year-old dentist Chetana Parthasarathy her second dose of AstraZeneca on Wednesday.
Dr Parthasarathy said she was excited to receive her second shot.
"We can't foolproof everything, so you just have to do everything you can to protect society," she said.
Call for pharmacies to administer COVID vaccines
Mr McGowan said he would like more pharmacies to administer COVID vaccinations.
From July, about 50 pharmacies in remote parts of the state are due to begin administing the vaccines, but the Premier said more should be allowed to do so.
"As a country, we just need to get more opportunities for people to get vaccinated with the vaccine that is appropriate for their age group," he said.
"We just need to open up more to allow for it, otherwise what has occurred in Sydney and is occurring here and in Brisbane and NT and other places will continue to happen over the next six months to a year.
"The sooner we get people vaccinated the better."
Meanwhile, Health Minister Roger Cook said a record number of West Australian got vaccinated on Tuesday, the first day of a four-day lockdown triggered by an outbreak of coronavirus in Perth's northern suburbs which currently stands at four cases.
More than 12,200 people were vaccinated, taking the state's total to 291,516, he said, which was "a very pleasing result."
Concerns over Aboriginal community vaccination hesitancy
Mr McGowan said he was keen to see the rate of vaccinations in remote Aboriginal communities rapidly increased.
"There is hesitancy amongst remote Aboriginal communities and we need to really target getting that hesitancy removed and getting Aboriginal people vaccinated," he said.
"We know Aboriginal people, as we learnt in 1919 in the Spanish influenza
outbreak, they are very vulnerable."
He said a large-scale national advertising campaign to encourage people in regional areas to get vaccinated, particularly Indigenous people, would be "money well spent".
Mr McGowan said he believed vaccination rates would need to rise above 80 per cent before international border were re-opened.
"If you want to go and see your relatives overseas or go on an overseas holiday again, we have to get people vaccinated as soon as we can," he said.
"Open the floodgates and get as many people vaccinated as possible."
