COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. All of the COVID-19 vaccines offered in the US have gone through all the normal testing that other vaccines go through, just at a faster pace. They were developed using well-established scientific methods and meet the FDA’s rigorous safety, effectiveness, and quality standards. They were tested by tens of thousands of people consenting to participate in these safety studies before they were released to the public, and millions of doses have been successfully and safely administered since then. COVID-19 vaccines have received the most intense safety monitoring in US history. The CDC monitors the vaccines continuously for safety. Risks associated with a COVID-19 vaccine are:

• pain 
• swelling or redness where the shot was given
• fever
• tiredness (fatigue) 
• headache 
• chills 
• muscle pain 
• joint pain 
• nausea or vomiting 
• swollen lymph nodes 
• rare chance of inflammation of the heart muscle or the lining outside the heart.

As with any medicine, there is a very remote chance of a vaccine causing a severe allergic reaction, other serious injury, or death. 

Despite these risks, COVID-19 Vaccines are safer than getting sick with COVID-19. If you get a COVID-19 vaccine and you think you might be having a severe allergic reaction after leaving the vaccination provider site, seek immediate medical care by calling 911.