Informed consent for any medical procedure is critical. Bodily autonomy is a fundamental right. Vaccines, like any other pharmaceutical product, carry risk. While vaccines are touted as safe and effective, the truth is vaccine injury is not rare, rather it is rarely acknowledged. The COVID-19 vaccine is no different, and given the circumstances under which this vaccine has been developed, there is a greater concern over safety. At this time the COVID-19 vaccines approved for use under emergency use authorization (EUA) are considered experimental, as they have not run the gamut of safety and efficacy testing. With a full safety profile unknown, we believe everyone should be aware of the potential scope of risks before making the personal decision to vaccinate. Following are the 5 things you should know about the COVID-19 vaccine. Within each link you will find the sources for each fact.