White House vaccine czar confident in long-term safety of Pfizer, Moderna COVID-19 shots

Mocef Slaoui, the chief scientific adviser to the U.S. government's Operation Warp Speed COVID-19 vaccine initiative, told CBS News' Margaret Brennan Sunday that, "based on the data that I know," he expects the Food and Drug Administration to grant emergency approval to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines (the former decision could come next week), though he clarified that it is ultimately the agency's decision. Then, "the minute" they're approved, "shipments" will start, and, perhaps 36 hours later the first immunizations could be administered, he said.

If all goes according to plan, Slaoui believes the vaccinations could positively affect the most "susceptible" segments of the U.S. by January and February, although most people will begin to see the "light at the end of the tunnel" by April or May.

Slaoui also said the trials run by Pfizer and Moderna have provided a "good understanding" of side effects, which are seemingly limited and not serious. Some patients did experience pain at the injection site and developed a fever and chills, but these symptoms were short-lived, usually disappearing within a day or two. And while, there are only six months worth of data, meaning there isn't a clear sense of whether the vaccine could affect people long-term, Slaoui noted that in most cases, serious adverse side effects from vaccines occur within the first two months after immunization. "We have that observation with these vaccines," he told Brennan. "There are no such serious side effects. We are confident that in the long term, these vaccines will remain very effective and very safe." Tim O'Donnell

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