What is the vaccine adverse event reporting system FDA?

Marcus Blakumen
Salubri
Published in
2 min readFeb 18, 2023

The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) is a program established by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help track adverse events associated with vaccinations. The program was created in 1990 in response to the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, which mandated the reporting of adverse events associated with vaccines.

Photo by Diana Polekhina on Unsplash

VAERS serves as a central repository for reports of adverse events that occur after the administration of vaccines. Healthcare providers, vaccine manufacturers, and the general public are encouraged to report any adverse events, including serious and unexpected events, to VAERS. These reports are then reviewed by the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to determine if any patterns or trends exist.

The purpose of VAERS is to monitor the safety of vaccines and to identify potential safety concerns. By collecting and analyzing data on adverse events associated with vaccinations, the FDA and CDC can take appropriate action to ensure that vaccines remain safe and effective. Additionally, VAERS helps to identify new or rare adverse events that may not have been detected during clinical trials.

It is important to note that just because an adverse event is reported to VAERS, it does not necessarily mean that the vaccine caused the event. Correlation does not always equal causation. The VAERS database is simply a tool that allows the FDA and CDC to monitor and investigate adverse events associated with vaccines.

It is important for healthcare providers and vaccine manufacturers to report any adverse events to VAERS in a timely and accurate manner. This allows the FDA and CDC to quickly identify any potential safety concerns and take appropriate action to ensure the safety and effectiveness of vaccines.

VAERS is an important program established by the FDA to help monitor the safety of vaccines. By collecting and analyzing data on adverse events associated with vaccinations, the FDA and CDC can take appropriate action to ensure that vaccines remain safe and effective. It is important for healthcare providers and vaccine manufacturers to report any adverse events to VAERS in a timely and accurate manner to allow for quick identification and investigation of potential safety concerns.

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