A leading infectious diseases expert is urging the federal government not to rush in and approve a COVID-19 vaccine.

The vaccine, produced by Pfizer and BioNTech, has just been approved for an emergency rollout in the United Kingdom.

Although trials of the vaccine show it is 95 percent effective, a top infectious diseases expert says Australia would be wise to hold off on approving the jab.

Chair of the World Health Organisation’s Outbreak Alert and Response Network, Professor Dale Fisher, says Australia has time on its side.

“We’re in a somewhat more privileged position in most of Asia, and Australia and New Zealand,” he told Neil Mitchell.

“We can … sit back a little and let the dust settle.

“You wouldn’t’ want to vaccinate a whole country urgently and then realise that it doesn’t work after a few months and you have to redo everyone.

“There’s a big difference between two months and six months of data.”

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