risk

The FDA approved the COVID-19 vaccines on an emergency basis, but is withholding full approval until the completion of the phase III trials, over a year from now. Of course, anyone who wants to can be vaccinated under the emergency approval.

The scientific/medical reason for waiting is the (remote) possibility that there will be significant vaccine side-effects during the second year of the trial.

I’m staying in the Moderna trial for the full two years. I could have dropped out when I unblinded myself last October, or when I was officially unblinded in the trial in January, but since I have a vaccine card, I’m good with staying in.

The choice isn’t between the “risk” of the vaccine and no risk, it is between the unknown risk of the vaccine and the known risk of contracting COVID-19 without the vaccine. The latter includes not only significant risk of death but also risk of long haul syndrome.

I understand the FDA position, but if any healthy person asks me, I'd tell them to get the vaccine.