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Pfizer began shipping the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines to all 50 states this week, capping months of anticipation, development, clinical trials, and regulatory reviews.
Amid efforts to fast-track the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, the FDA granted emergency use authorization for the vaccine -- delivered in two doses, 3 weeks apart -- deeming it safe and effective.
WebMD went to the experts for answers to a dozen frequently asked questions about the vaccine. Here's what you need to know.
How safe is the COVID-19 vaccine?
Paul Offit, MD, a member of the FDA advisory panel that recommended the vaccine's use, says rigorous clinical trials of the shot identified no safety concerns, despite its sped-up production.
"These vaccines were subjected to large phase III clinical trials," says Offit, a vaccine expert at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "Regarding safety, there was an insistence by the FDA that at least tens of thousands of people be observed for 2 months after the final dose to make sure that there were no uncommon side effects."
Offit says the fast-tracking of the vaccine was mostly a result of the upfront financing the federal government provided, so no shortcuts were taken in verifying its safety.
