The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges people taking the COVID-19 vaccine to download a smartphone app so that side effects can continue to be detected.
This application, called V-Safe, verifies patients who have been vaccinated with Covit-19 using text messages and web surveys from CVC.
The application reminds patients when it is time to go back to the second shot.
Patients can be expected to experience mild symptoms such as fever, headache and muscle aches after taking the vaccine. But doctors like Dr. Grace Lee, co-chief medical officer for training findings in Stanford pediatric health and a member of the CDC’s Vaccine Advisory Board, say those side effects will not last very long.
“We hope patients will be willing to engage in this system, recognizing that this will take some time,” Lee said. “But it is important for everyone in the United States to ensure that we help build a robust vaccine protection monitoring system for all COVID vaccines.”
Lee says a lot is already known about vaccines because the clinical trials for the COVID-19 vaccine are so large – 30,000 to 60,000 people per trial, compared to several thousands for a routine test.
Tests have not yet shown major safety risks, but Lee says rare adverse events can occur – like two health workers in Alaska earlier this week, Pfizer experienced anaphylactic allergic reactions to the vaccine. The side effects reported by those two patients were similar to those experienced by two people in the UK earlier this month.
That’s why CDC counts as many people as possible to use V-Safe, Lee says.
“My hope is if the numbers are high,” Lee said. “It means it gives us more information quickly, so for anything that can happen, we can take it very quickly.”
V-Safe sends text messages to patients asking how they feel for up to six weeks after their footage. The CDC states that it takes less than five minutes to answer questions and that the information provided by patients is confidential and private.
Beatrice Ashford is a contributor at Nintendo-power.com, covering a wide range of topics including news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on delivering clear, balanced reporting and useful information that helps readers stay informed about current events and emerging developments. Her work highlights stories that matter to everyday audiences, with an emphasis on accuracy, relevance, and accessible journalism that keeps readers connected to the issues shaping the world around them.