There's been a lot of talk of vaccine hesitancy/people waiting to get the vaccine "until it's been tested on more people." Here are the facts: [1/6]

2 vaccines have been authorized in the U.S. so far. Pfizer's was tested in ~44,000 people and its efficacy is 95%. Moderna's was tested in ~30,000 and its efficacy is 94%. Both were found to be safe and worked well in all age groups, races and ethnicities. [2/6]

Side effects were mild/moderate, and expected. Some people experienced pain at the injection site, headache, fever and/or fatigue, especially after the second dose. These are normal, and signs that the vaccine is stimulating an immune response. [3/6]

A handful of people had other side effects. Out of 272,000 people who have received the Pfizer vaccine in the U.S., only 6 have had allergic reactions (which can happen with all vaccines, and all of which resolved with treatment). [4/6]

In summary, the COVID vaccines that are currently available have been tested in trials tens of thousands of people, and were found to be both safe and highly effective. While there are still unknowns (like how long the protection lasts), these things are being studied. [5/6]

The first vaccines will go to healthcare workers and nursing home residents, so most people won't even get to take the vaccine until later next spring. By that time, millions of people will have been vaccinated safely. Getting vax'd protects you, and it protects others. [6/6]