FDA publishes the side effects of Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine

Shafaq News/ The US Food and Drug Administration has issued emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.

After months of development, emergency use was authorized following the recommendation of the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, a Pfizer spokesperson confirmed to CNN on Friday night.

"The authorization of our vaccine in the United States was one of our most important milestones from the beginning," BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin told CNN in an exclusive interview at BioNTech's headquarters in Mainz, Germany.

Pfizer's clinical trials have shown no severe side effects.

According to a briefing document released by the FDA's vaccine advisory committee, the most common side effects were reactions at the point of injection on the body, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain and fever.

Severe adverse reactions occurred in less than 4.6% of trial participants and were less frequent in older adults compared to younger participants.

Health authorities in the UK, where the vaccine roll out began earlier this week, said Wednesday that people with "significant history of allergic reactions" should not receive the vaccine. The advice came after two health care workers "responded adversely" following their shots.

It also remains unclear how safe the vaccine is for other groups, like pregnant women and children under 16.