The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 11, 2020, for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 18, 2020, and for Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine on Feb. 27, 2021.
Additional vaccines are still under FDA review. This is a process the federal government uses during an emergency to authorize use of a vaccine, drug or medical device that is not yet licensed or that is licensed for a different purpose. Such treatments must undergo extensive testing and safety evaluation to receive an EUA.
Learn more about FDA Emergency Use Authorization »
Pfizer and Moderna vaccines
How they work
Safety data
Clinical trial data from both Pfizer and Moderna show an estimated 95% and 94.5% effective rate for these initial vaccines, respectively. The vaccine is the best defense against the virus and is an important step toward eradicating community spread. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and FDA have a thorough and scientific process to evaluate vaccine safety before granting emergency use authorization. The clinical trials do show possible side effects that can include fever and body aches.
Learn more
- Watch the town hall recordings linked below.
- Watch the Facebook Live recording of “BJC COVID-19 Vaccine: Facts vs. Myths”
- Read the BJC HealthCare and Washington University Physicians fact sheet.
- Visit the CDC website
Town halls
The School of Medicine and BJC have held several town halls about the COVID-19 vaccines FDA- approved for emergency use. Recordings are available.
Watch recordings
WashU Med town halls
Dec. 9, 2020: Efficacy, safety and rollout plans
Dec. 21, 2020: Efficacy, safety and rollout plans
BJC town halls
Jan. 26, 2021: New vaccine development, employee rollout, public rollout, safety, community engagement