The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine may prevent the person vaccinated from getting COVID-19. There is no U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved vaccine to prevent COVID-19. However, the FDA has authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 12 years of age and older under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). The PfizerBioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is administered as a 2-dose series, 3 weeks apart, into the muscle.

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine may not protect everyone. Side effects that have been reported with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine include injection site pain, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, injection site swelling, injection site redness, nausea, feeling unwell, and swollen lymph nodes.

There is a remote chance that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine could cause a severe allergic reaction. A severe allergic reaction would usually occur within a few minutes to one hour after getting a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. For this reason, a vaccination provider may ask the person receiving the vaccine to stay at the place where they received their vaccine for monitoring after vaccination. Signs of a severe allergic reaction can include difficulty breathing, swelling of the face and throat, a fast heartbeat, and/or a bad rash all over the body.

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine “Fact Sheet for Recipients and Caregivers”
is available at https://www.fda.gov/media/144414/download.