Doctors are urging governments not to compel Australians to get a COVID-19 vaccine, warning the fast-tracked approval process could create a risk of harmful side effects.

Australian Medical Association President Omar Khorshid said while the peak body was "very supportive of vaccination generally because of its extensive science behind the safety, it's not going to be the case for a COVID vaccine, at least initially."

The AMA does not support a mandatory uptake of a brand new COVID-19 vaccine. PETER BRAIG

Dr Khorshid said tying vaccination to access to services such as childcare, school or social security payments, as state and federal governments do with paediatric vaccines under 'no jab, no play' and 'no jab, no pay' laws, could not be justified with a brand new COVID-19 vaccine.

"We have to acknowledge it is a rushed approval process and even if the phase three trials on this Oxford vaccine go really well, it's still not absolutely proven that it is safe, not as proven as is normally the case," he said.

"That does increase the risk that there might be rare side effects ... that we just don't know about."