On December 11, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, which has been shown to be safe and effective for use in people 16 years of age and older (as determined by data from the manufacturer and findings from large clinical trials). On December 18, the FDA also granted EUA for the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine for use in people 18 years of age and older. Data from vaccine trials demonstrate that the known and potential benefits of this vaccine outweigh the known and potential harms of becoming infected by the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).

The requirements for COVID-19 vaccines are the same as all other vaccines. The companies making the vaccines have to share information with specific agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They must show how the vaccine studies were designed, what their process was, how they got their data, and what the results were. Many people of different ages, races, and ethnicities, as well as those with different medical conditions, participated in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials.

After a vaccine is authorized or approved for use, many vaccine safety monitoring systems watch for adverse events (possible side effects). This continued 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 assess whether it is a true safety concern. Experts then decide whether changes are needed in U.S. vaccine recommendations.

Both Pfizer and Moderna indicated efficacy of 95%.

The vaccine does not use the live virus and will not give you COVID-19.

Most people do not have serious problems after getting the vaccine. You may experience some side effects, which are normal signs that your body is building protection. These are typically mild and go away within 24-48 hours.

You will need two doses of the currently available COVID-19 vaccines. A second shot is needed 21 days after the first Pfizer shot and 28 days after the first Moderna shot.

Yes, the current recommendation is to receive the vaccine. There is not enough information currently available to say if, or for how long after infection, someone is protected from getting COVID-19 again; this is called natural immunity. Early evidence suggests natural immunity from COVID-19 may not last very long, but more studies are needed to better understand this. In addition, clinical trials have included participants previously infected with COVID-19.

If you have COVID-19, vaccination should be deferred until you recover and meet the criteria to discontinue isolation. This applies to people who develop COVID-19 before receiving the vaccine as well as those who develop the infection after the first dose and before receipt of the second dose.

If you have been exposed to someone who has COVID-19, you should wait until your quarantine period has ended to avoid potentially exposing others to COVID-19 during the vaccination clinic.

Exceptions Include:

• Residents who've been exposed to COVID-19 in congregate healthcare settings (i.e. long-term care facilities) and other congregate settings (i.e. correctional and detention facilities, homeless shelters) may be vaccinated. In these settings, personnel are already in close contact with residents. In addition, there's an increased risk for outbreaks in these settings.
• Persons residing in congregate settings (healthcare and non-healthcare) who have had an exposure and are awaiting COVID-19 test results may be vaccinated, so long as the person does not have symptoms of COVID-19.

If you previously received passive antibody therapy, you should wait 90 days before receiving the vaccine. This is to avoid potential interference of the antibody therapy with vaccine-induced immune responses.

The vaccine will be provided to people at no cost.