Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe and effective?

 

Yes. All three vaccines authorized for emergency use or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have been thoroughly tested and found to be safe and effective in preventing severe COVID-19. After a COVID-19 vaccine is authorized by the FDA, many vaccine safety monitoring systems watch for adverse events (possible side effects). This ongoing monitoring can pick up on adverse events that may not have been seen in clinical trials. If an unexpected adverse event is seen, experts quickly study it further to see if it is a true safety concern. Experts then decide whether changes are needed in US vaccine recommendations.

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The State of New York further reviews COVID vaccination initiatives to ensure COVID vaccine safety. New York State's independent COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Advisory Task Force thoroughly review vaccine research before recommending any vaccine to New Yorkers. 

Millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines under the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history. As of August 23, 2021, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine received full FDA approval for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals aged 16 and older. 

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Will I get COVID from the vaccine?

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No. None of the vaccines are made up of materials that can cause the COVID-19 disease. The vaccines authorized for emergency use by the FDA use a harmless part of the virus’s genetic material called ‘mRNA’. This is not the virus. mRNA vaccines teach your body to create virus proteins. Your immune system develops antibodies against these proteins that will help you fight the virus that causes COVID-19 if you are exposed to it. This means your immune system is responding.

 

Are COVID vaccines safe for children?

 

The FDA has determined that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine meets the standards for effectiveness and safety needed for emergency use authorization for use by children ages 5 and older. 

 

Is it safe to get a COVID-19 vaccine if I have an underlying medical condition?

 

Yes. COVID-19 vaccination is very important for people with underlying health problems like heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, and obesity. People with these conditions are more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19. Please consult with your doctor if you have specific questions about the COVID vaccine and your health.

 

Do I still need the vaccine if I have recovered from COVID-19?

 

Yes. CDC recommends that you get vaccinated even if you have already had COVID-19, because you can catch it more than once. While you may have some short-term antibody protection after recovering from COVID-19, we don’t know how long this protection will last. People who already had COVID-19 and do not get vaccinated after their recovery are more than 2 times as likely to get COVID-19 again than those who get fully vaccinated after their recovery.

 

People who were treated for COVID-19 with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma or people who have a history of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults or children (MIS-A or MIS-C) may need to wait a while after recovering before they can get vaccinated. Talk to your doctor if you are unsure what treatments you received or if you have more questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

 

If I am pregnant or planning to become pregnant, can I get the COVID vaccine?

 

Yes, COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or who might become pregnant in the future. You might want to have a conversation with your healthcare provider about COVID-19 vaccination. While such a conversation might be helpful, it is not required before vaccination. Learn more about vaccination considerations for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

If you are pregnant and have received a COVID-19 vaccine, we encourage you to enroll in v-safe, CDC’s smartphone-based tool that provides personalized health check-ins after vaccination. A v-safe pregnancy registry has been established to gather information on the health of pregnant people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine.