The Department of Health (DOH) recently released a video about the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS). VAERS reporting is often misunderstood and has been improperly used to support misinformation in recent media.
VAERS is a national system that allows health care providers and members of the public to report adverse side effects they or their patients experience after receiving a vaccine. When done accurately, this reporting helps medical leaders find solutions to negative reactions or advise people with certain health conditions of their risk factors.
VAERS is an important tool for monitoring vaccine safety, but reports alone cannot be used to determine if a vaccine caused or contributed to an adverse side effect. Reports submitted by individuals may unintentionally include information that is incomplete, inaccurate, or unverifiable. Investigations are necessary to determine if self-reported side effects are related to the vaccine.
The following video aims to encourage proper use of VAERS reporting, address misinformation on social media and promote trusted sources of vaccine information.
DOH VAERS Video Link: VAERS Overview
For more information about VAERS and addressing misinformation, visit the DOH Vaccine Safety page or explore our misinformation resources or vaccine confidence resources in Dropbox.