Smartwatch Data Confirms COVID-19 Booster Vaccine Safety Standards: Lancet Study

The world has again come under the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic after countries like China, the United States (US), and Brazil reported the maximum number of cases. The government of India has also put the country under strict surveillance and appealed to the people to take the booster vaccine as a precautionary measure.

In a significant breakthrough, a study published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine that monitored heart measures through smartwatches has confirmed that the booster vaccine for COVID-19 is safe for use.

Several Perspectives To Measure Safety Standards

The researchers at Tel Aviv University equipped smartwatches to 5,000 Israelis and observed the physiological parameters for two years. Of those monitored, as many as 2,038 already took the booster vaccine for COVID-19, allowing researchers to closely compare measures before and after participants took the booster vaccine.

The team of researchers also monitored the vaccine's safety by examining the medical files and data of 2.5 lakh members of Maccabi Health Services. The safety standards were analysed in three ways- what the participants report, objectively— what the watch detects, and clinically— what the doctor diagnoses.

Major Findings

A professor at Tel Aviv University, Dan Yamin, mentioned, "The smartwatches were used to monitor a number of parameters such as heart rate, variation in heart activity, quality of sleep, number of daily steps taken, and more," The Print reported.

He added that significant changes were seen after administration of the vaccine- an increase in heart rate and pulse rate. But both returned to the participant's baseline- pulse level returned to normal after six days of vaccination. After closely monitoring such activities, the researchers concluded that the booster vaccine is safe.

The researchers also claimed that watches were more reactive than the participants they monitored. It recorded the physiological measures of the participants, as some reported fatigue and headache after taking the booster vaccine, which came back to normal levels after a few days.

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