The state of Australia’s struggling COVID-19 vaccine rollout remains unclear ahead of moves to bring forward jabs for those aged over 50, with the government unable to say exactly how many vulnerable people have had injections so far.

Health Department secretary Brendan Murphy and the government’s newly appointed rollout logistics tsar, Commodore Eric Young, said new timetables weren’t possible, as national cabinet prepares on Thursday to reset plans for the 8.7 million people for whom the AstraZeneca drug is no longer recommended.