//Why the Covid-19 vaccines may feel different from other routine shots

Why the Covid-19 vaccines may feel different from other routine shots

Health care workers in Portland, Oregon, receive Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine on December 16. | Nathan Howard/Getty Images

The side effects of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, explained.

After months of waiting, we finally have detailed information on the safety and efficacy of the first Covid-19 vaccines that will be distributed in America.

On Thursday, a committee that advises the Food and Drug Administration voted to recommend the Moderna vaccine for an emergency use authorization for people ages 18 and over. Ahead of the decision, the agency shared the most comprehensive data to date on what we know about the shot. The same process happened last week with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which is now being rolled out across America following an EUA Friday night.

While both vaccines had already been shown to be highly effective, the new data provides a much