What is V-safe?
V-safe is a smartphone-based tool created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that uses text messaging and web surveys to provide personalized health check-ins after you receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
With v-safe, you can quickly tell the CDC if you have any side effects after you get your COVID-19 vaccine. Depending on your answers, someone from the CDC may call to check on you and get more information.
V-safe will also remind you to get your second COVID-19 dose if you need one.
How Can I Participate in V-safe?
After you get a COVID-19 vaccine, you can enroll in v-safe using your smartphone. Your healthcare provider will give you an information sheet that explains how to register and get started.
V-safe is free to use. You’ll need a smartphone with a modern browser and access to the internet to participate.
Participation is voluntary and you can opt-out at any time. To opt-out, simply text “STOP” when you receive a text message from v-safe. You can also start using v-safe again by texting “START.”
Interested in being vaccinated? Find out where you are in line and if you’re eligible to make an appointment.
If I’ve Been Vaccinated for COVID-19 But Don’t Have a Smartphone, Can I Still Participate in V-safe?
Currently, you can only access v-safe with a smartphone – a mobile phone that has a touchscreen, can receive text messages, and has access to the internet.
If you can’t participate in v-safe, you can submit reports of adverse events following vaccination to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a vaccine safety monitoring system managed by the CDC and FDA.
Where Can I Find V-safe? Is It an App?
V-safe isn’t an app you can download. V-safe is a secure online tool you can access with any smartphone.
There’s no charge to use v-safe, other than the normal carrier rates for your phone plan. Instructions on how to enroll will be provided when you get your vaccination.
If you have any questions about enrolling for v-safe, you can call CDC-INFO at 800-232-4636 for help.
How Long Do V-safe Check-Ins Last?
During the first week after you get your vaccine, v-safe will send you a text message each day to ask how you’re feeling. After that, you’ll get check-in messages once a week for up to five weeks.
The questions v-safe asks will take less than five minutes to answer.
If you need a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, v-safe will provide you with a new six-week check-in process so you can share your second dose experience as well.
Finally, you’ll receive check-ins three, six, and 12 months after your final dose of the vaccine.
Will My Health Information Be Secure?
Yes. Your personal information in v-safe is protected so that it stays confidential and private.
V-safe uses existing information systems managed by the CDC, FDA, and other federal agencies that use strict security measures that are appropriate for the data’s level of sensitivity.
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Will My Participation in V-safe Make a Difference?
Yes. By participating in v-safe and reporting whether or not you have any side effects, you’re helping the CDC monitor the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines in real-time.
If any serious health problems are reported, they can be quickly investigated by the CDC’s medical experts and scientists.
What if I Have a Health Problem I Think is Related to My COVID-19 Vaccination between my V-safe Check-ins or After I’ve Finished with V-safe?
If you have any symptoms or health problems following your COVID-19 vaccination, please contact your healthcare provider.
Will V-safe Let Me Know if I Should Go to Work Based on My Symptoms After I Receive a COVID-19 Vaccine?
No. V-safe doesn’t provide medical advice. The purpose of v-safe is to collect information about a vaccine recipient’s health following vaccination.
If you’re experiencing symptoms that are causing concern, you should contact your healthcare provider.
More Questions About V-safe?
If you’d like to learn more about v-safe, please visit the CDC.
Next Steps and Useful Resources:
Schedule a Vaccine Appointment
Things to Know Before Your Vaccine Appointment
[PODCAST] A Primary Care Doctor’s Perspective on COVID-19
[VIDEO] ECMO Treatment for COVID-19
