V-Safe: How Everyday People Help the CDC Track Covid Vaccine Safety With Their Phones - KFF Health News

Of the 203 million people who have received at least one dose of a covid-19 vaccine, more than 9 million have enrolled in a program to share information about their health since getting the shot.The initiative was created for the covid-19 vaccines to complement the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine safety monitoring system. Known as v-safe, the registry lets inoculated people report their experiences, including serious suspected side effects, directly to the CDC through smartphones, adding to the data gathered from clinical trials and other safety monitoring systems.So how does v-safe strengthen the nation’s existing safety checks and how well is it working?Going in, some public health experts expressed doubts about its effectiveness. But since the tool’s Dec. 13 release, reviews have mostly been positive.“It’s a really good way to make everybody part of the process,” said Dr. Kathryn Edwards, founder of the Vanderbilt Vaccine Research Program and principal investiga...