Due to the relative speed with which these vaccines were developed, patients’ concerns about long-term side effects are reasonable and to be expected.
Patients may ask: How do we know that these vaccines are safe when they are so new? Couldn’t they cause problems that we don’t know about yet? What about long-term problems? To respond, you can:
- Explain how FDA and CDC are continuing to monitor safety, to make sure even long-term side effects are identified.
- Reassure patients that COVID-19 vaccines will be continuously monitored for safety after authorization, and ACIP will take action to address any safety problems detected.
- Compare the potential serious risk of COVID-19 infection to what is currently known about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.
COVID-19 vaccines are being tested in large clinical trials to assess their safety. However, it does take time, and more people getting vaccinated before we learn about very rare or long-term side effects. That is why safety monitoring will continue. CDC has an independent group of experts that reviews all the safety data as it comes in and provides regular safety updates. If a safety issue is detected, immediate action will take place to determine if the issue is related to the COVID-19 vaccine and determine the best course of action.