As COVID-19 vaccines roll out, we’re monitoring their real-world impact right from the start to help end the pandemic.

We’ve updated the ZOE COVID Study app so that anyone can log when they’ve received a COVID-19 vaccine and report any after effects. We’re also now asking everyone who’s previously logged a jab to go back and tell us which type it was.

Importantly, you can also add a profile and log on behalf of elderly relatives who are being invited for vaccination but aren’t able to use the app.

Here are five reasons why you should download the app and use it to log your jab when you get it.

#1 Capture the after effects of COVID-19 vaccination

All the COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in the UK have been shown to be safe in clinical trials with many tens of thousands of people, but we still need to monitor their effects as vaccination is rolled out to millions.

By logging your jab in the ZOE COVID Study app, you’ll be helping us to monitor the after effects of vaccination. This includes many common short-term after effects of vaccination that aren’t serious enough to be picked up through the existing Yellow Card reporting system, as well as very rare effects and impacts on health in the longer term. 

#2 Reveal how well vaccines are working

Vaccines are our greatest hope in getting back to a 'normal' life, but we still don't know how long immunity lasts for. By combining data about the rates vaccination with near-real time symptom monitoring, we hope to build an accurate prediction of growing community immunity across the nation. 

We also want to find out whether anyone who has been vaccinated can still be reinfected with COVID-19. Logging your health with the app in the long run after a vaccine will provide crucial data to help us understand the chances of reinfection.

#3 Help settle the dosing debate

All three vaccines currently licensed for use in the UK - Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca/Oxford - need two doses to build the best protection. There’s a lot of discussion about how best to balance the need to get as many people vaccinated as possible with the timing of these doses.

By logging your first and second vaccines in the ZOE COVID Study app and continuing to report your health daily, you’ll be helping us to understand how dose timing affects the effectiveness of the different vaccines and how best to make sure that people are protected.

#4 Defend against new strains of coronavirus

We’re already seeing new strains of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus emerging here in the UK and elsewhere, and it’s likely that the virus will continue to evolve and change as the level of vaccination increases.

Getting as many people as possible to log their jabs and daily health reports with the ZOE COVID Study app will help us stay vigilant for the emergence of new viral strains that can evade the protection provided by current vaccines or previous coronavirus infections. 

#5 Be part of world-leading scientific research

The ZOE COVID Symptom Study is the largest independent community-led COVID vaccine study in the world, providing vital information to ensure public safety and help end the pandemic. 

All our latest analysis on COVID-19 rates and vaccination is available to users through the app, including information about COVID-19 in your local area, so it’s also a great way to stay up to date and ahead of the curve. 

Thanks for being part of something amazing. Stay safe and keep logging.