Vaccine/Booster FAQs

Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe?

While COVID-19 vaccines were developed rapidly, all steps were taken to make sure they are safe and effective:

  • Approach to Development – Scientists have been working for many years to develop vaccines against viruses like the one that causes COVID-19. This knowledge helped speed up the initial development of the current COVID-19 vaccines.
  • Clinical Trials – All vaccines in the United States must go through three phases of clinical trials to make sure they are safe and effective. During the development of COVID-19 vaccines, phases overlapped to speed up the process, but all phases were completed.
  • Authorization or Approval – Before vaccines are available to people, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) assesses the findings from clinical trials. FDA determined that three COVID-19 vaccines met FDA’s safety and effectiveness standards and granted those vaccines Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs)external icon. This allowed the vaccines to be quickly distributed to control the pandemic. Pfizer-BioNTech (COMIRNATY) COVID-19 vaccine has now been FDA approvedexternal icon for people ages 16 years and older. Read more about the first COVID-19 vaccine to receive FDA approvalexternal icon.
  • Manufacturing and Distribution – The U.S. government has invested substantial resources to manufacture and distribute COVID-19 vaccines. This allowed vaccine distribution to begin as soon as FDA authorized each vaccine.
  • Tracking Safety Using Vaccine Monitoring Systems – COVID-19 vaccine safety monitoring has been the most intense and comprehensive in U.S. history. Hundreds of millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines. Through several monitoring systems, CDC and FDA continue to provide updated information on the safety of these vaccines.
 Why do some people get symptoms after getting the vaccine?

The goal for the vaccine is to teach our immune systems how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19.  Sometimes this process can cause symptoms, such as fever. These symptoms are normal and are a sign that the body is building immunity.

 Can women who are pregnant get the COVID-19 vaccine?

The CDC has recommended that pregnant women and women planning to become pregnant may be offered the vaccine, in consultation with their health care provider.

 What are the side effects of the booster?

Among those people who reported side effects, it included local reactions (including itching, pain, or redness at the injection site), some reported systemic reactions (mostly fatigue, muscle aches, and headaches), typically the day after the shot.

 Does the COVID-19 vaccine affect getting the Flu Vaccine?

You can get a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines, including a flu vaccine, at the same visit. Experience with other vaccines has shown that the way our bodies develop protection, known as an immune response, and possible side effects after getting vaccinated are generally the same when given alone or with other vaccines.