CDC is now monitoring three new vaccines through V-Safe
Vaccine safety monitoring is a top priority for CDC. V-safe is one of several complementary safety systems CDC uses to closely monitor the safety of vaccines in the United States. It lets vaccine recipients self-report how they feel after receiving a vaccine. Healthcare providers can encourage patients to register for a V-safe account and tell CDC how they’re feeling after maternal RSV vaccine, RSV vaccines for older adults, or 2023-2024 updated COVID-19 vaccines.
V-safe started in December 2020 to monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. It was also used to let people tell CDC how they felt after receiving mpox vaccines. Since its launch, 10.1 million V-safe participants completed more than 151 million health surveys about their experiences following COVID-19 and mpox vaccination.
Data gathered through V-safe allow CDC to provide timely and transparent communication about side effects following vaccination to public health officials, healthcare providers, and the public.
Here’s How it Works
V-safe allows anyone who gets vaccinated with maternal RSV vaccine, RSV vaccines for older adults, or 2023-2024 updated COVID-19 vaccines to enroll and receive personalized health check-ins.
Using a computer, smartphone, or tablet, vaccine recipients can go to vsafe.cdc.gov and create an account to receive health check-ins via text messages or emails that link to confidential surveys. These surveys allow recipients to, for example, quickly and easily tell CDC they are experiencing pain where the shot was given.
Once registered, V-safe sends daily health check-ins for the first week after vaccination. After that, V-safe sends messages to complete a daily health check-in once a week for up to six weeks. If a participant reports a health event that needed medical attention, CDC will send a text message or email with a link to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) to request more information.
Visit the Who Can Participate page for more information about enrollment criteria for the vaccines that are being monitored in V-safe.
Healthcare Providers: Help Promote V-safe
- You play a vital role in encouraging vaccinated people (or their parents/caregivers) to register for V-safe, including older adults or pregnant people who receive RSV vaccine, or people who receive a 2023-2024 updated COVID-19 vaccine.
- Your recommendation to participate in V-safe can help vaccine recipients decide to enroll in this program. The data collected through V-safe help CDC inform the public about what to expect after receiving these vaccines, such as a sore arm or fever.
- Informational flyers and posters are available for download in Print Resources.
With your help, we hope to enroll as many people in V-safe as possible.
Learn More about V-Safe
About the Author
John R Su, MD, PhD, MPH, is a Medical Officer in the Immunization Safety Office, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, CDC
