Are COVID-19 vaccines safe? COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. Millions of people in the United States have already received COVID-19 vaccines. COVID-19 vaccines were evaluated in tens of thousands of participants in clinical trials. The vaccines met FDA’s rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality. These vaccines will undergo the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history. This monitoring includes using both established and new safety monitoring systems to make sure that COVID-19 vaccines are safe. This video will answer commonly asked questions on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccine side effects After you get a COVID-19 vaccine, you will be asked to stay for 15–30 minutes to be sure that you don’t have a severe reaction that might need treatment. A small number of people have experienced severe allergic reactions, but but this is extremely rare. Common side effects after getting the vaccine include pain, redness, or swelling at the injection site, fever, chills, tiredness or headache. These effects may affect your ability to do daily activities but should go away in a few days. CDC has a smartphone-based health check tool for people who get vaccinated called “v-safe.” Through v-safe, you can tell CDC if you have any side effects after getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Depending on your answers to v-safe’s web surveys, someone from CDC may call to check on you and get more information. V-safe will also remind you to get your second COVID-19 vaccine dose if you need one. Will the COVID-19 vaccine change my DNA? COVID-19 vaccines do not change your DNA. COVID-19 vaccines work by helping your body create an immune response. The immune response produces antibodies, which protect you from getting sick with COVID-19. Again, COVID-19 vaccines do not affect your DNA. Is it safe to get a COVID-19 vaccine if I'm pregnant or breastfeeding? There are limited data about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for people who are pregnant. People who are pregnant may choose to be vaccinated. There is currently no evidence that antibodies formed from COVID-19 vaccination cause any problem with pregnancy, including the development of the placenta. If they have questions about getting vaccinated, a discussion with a healthcare provider might help them make an informed decision. Is it safe to get a COVID-19 vaccine if I have an underlying medical condition? COVID-19 vaccination is very important for people with certain medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes, cancer, obesity, heart failure, and COPD. COVID-19 vaccines are safe for people with underlying medical conditions as long as they have not had a severe or immediate allergic reaction to the vaccine itself or any of the ingredients in the vaccine. It is recommended that you get the vaccine as soon as it is available to you. Is it safe for me to get a COVID-19 vaccine if I would like to have a baby one day? People who are trying to become pregnant now or who plan to try in the future may receive the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available to them. There is no evidence that fertility problems are a side effect of any vaccine, including COVID-19 vaccines. There is no routine recommendation for taking a pregnancy test before you get a COVID-19 vaccine. Is it safe to get a COVID-19 vaccine if I have allergies? If you previously had a severe allergic reaction to a dose of COVID-19 vaccine or to any of its ingredients, you should not receive that vaccine; however, you may be able to receive another type of COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your doctor. CDC recommends that people with other types of allergies not related to vaccines or injectable medications, like food or environmental allergies, get the COVID-19 vaccine. CDC has resources available on COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines that are easy to read, for people with limited English, and in American Sign Language. There are also resources in other formats like braille. For more ASL videos, go to CDC’s YouTube channel. For the latest information visit cdc.gov/coronavirus