Vaccines are held to a very high safety standard. They undergo careful safety testing before they are licensed, and they are monitored for safety throughout all stages of use.
Data must show that a COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can give emergency use authorization or approval. The safety of COVID-19 vaccines is closely monitored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and FDA:
How did they do in one year what took others over a decade to accomplish?
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Review the Path for a COVID-19 Vaccine from Research to Emergency Use Authorization.
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Read the FDA's Statement on How the FDA Will Follow The Science On COVID-19 Vaccines For Young Children.
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Read FDA FAQs including their Role and What's Being Done to Produce the COVID-19 Vaccines.
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The People and Practices Behind the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
Explore Industry Expert Resources, Vaccine Questions, & More
Authorized For Ages 5 to 11: What Parents Need to Know
Medical experts address common questions and concerns about COVID-19 vaccines for young children.
Texas Children's Experts Answering your COVID-19 Vaccine Questions
Fact check COVID-19 information from another point of interest.
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Significant Frequently Asked Questions
sources: John Hopkins, University of Maryland, CDC, more
Key Information About the Delta Variant and How it Compares
“The Delta variant is more aggressive and much more transmissible than previously circulating strains,” Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a White House briefing last week. “It is one of the most infectious respiratory viruses we know of and that I have seen in my 20-year career.”
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First identified in India, Delta is one of several variants of concern, as designated by the CDC and the World Health Organization. It has spread rapidly across the world and poses a particular threat in places where vaccination rates remain low.
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It's currently responsible for more than 80 percent of infections in the United States, largely among unvaccinated people, according to the CDC.
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It's more transmissible than Ebola or smallpox, and as contagious as chickenpox.