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Vaccines are one of the most effective tools we have for preventing serious illnesses. While they are generally safe, no medical intervention is without risk. When adverse reactions happen, they need to be documented, studied, and understood. That is the role of VAERS, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. Understanding VAERS is important not only for patients and healthcare providers but also for anyone concerned about vaccine safety.
What Is VAERS?
VAERS is a national database of self-reported side effects and other health events that occur after vaccination. It is managed by both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The primary goal of VAERS is to help public health officials watch for vaccine-related safety issues and respond quickly when patterns emerge. Some of the ways VAERS is used include:
- Spotting rare or unexpected side effects that may not have been widely reported before
- Tracking increases in side effects that are already known to see if they are happening more often than expected
- Identifying potential patient risk factors such as age, medical history, or underlying conditions
- Monitoring the safety of newly approved vaccines as they are used in the general population
- Investigating clusters of reports linked to a specific place, time, or batch of vaccines
- Detecting ongoing problems with how vaccines are given or used
- Providing a national safety monitoring system for public health emergencies, such as large-scale pandemic vaccination programs
- Contributing to a broader understanding of vaccine safety over time
Importantly, VAERS does not verify whether a reaction was actually caused by a vaccine. A report to VAERS only confirms that an adverse event occurred after vaccination.
What Data Is Collected in a VAERS Report?
Some of the key details collected in a VAERS report include:
- The vaccine received, including the type and brand
- The date of vaccination
- When the health event or symptoms began
- Current medical conditions and medications
- Relevant medical history, including prior diagnoses
- Any past reactions to vaccines
- Basic demographic information, such as age and sex
Who Can Submit a VAERS Report?
VAERS is unique because it accepts reports from anyone. Patients, parents, caregivers, and healthcare providers can all submit a report if they notice an adverse event following vaccination.
Healthcare providers are legally required to report certain serious events, such as hospitalizations, life-threatening reactions, or deaths. Vaccine manufacturers are required to report all events they are made aware of. Patients and caregivers, on the other hand, are encouraged to report any adverse event, whether mild or severe. Even a temporary reaction, like a high fever or rash, can provide valuable information for safety monitoring.
By allowing reports from multiple sources, VAERS can capture a wide range of data that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Types of Adverse Events Tracked by VAERS
VAERS tracks a broad spectrum of adverse events, from minor reactions to serious medical conditions. Common types of reports include:
Mild reactions
Pain or redness at the injection site, mild fever, fatigue, or headache.
Serious events
Hospitalizations, life-threatening reactions, severe allergic responses, or permanent disability.
Deaths
While extremely rare, deaths that occur following vaccination are reported and carefully reviewed.
Is VAERS Reliable?
As mentioned previously, the main purpose of VAERS is to serve as a national early warning system, allowing government agencies to identify unusual or unexpected patterns related to vaccinations and investigate them. While the data contained in VAERS is public, it is not intended as a resource for personal medical decisions.
VAERS accepts reports from anyone, and these reports are not individually verified for accuracy and completeness. For this reason, VAERS reports should not be considered evidence that a vaccine is linked to a certain adverse event. Determining whether a vaccine actually caused the event requires an extensive investigation by healthcare professionals and researchers.
The CDC itself states that most reported incidents that are investigated are found to be unrelated to vaccinations.
How to Make a VAERS Report
Reporting to VAERS is straightforward. Here’s how the reporting process works:
- Go to the official VAERS website at vaers.hhs.gov and use the online reporting portal. Online submission is the preferred method.
- Enter information about the health event. You’ll be asked for:
- Basic patient details (age, date of birth, etc.)
- Which vaccine was given and when
- When symptoms or health problems started
- A description of what happened and any medical care received
- Other information, such as relevant test results or medical history, if available
- Submit your report and save a copy of the confirmation or identification number you receive. VAERS assigns a unique ID to each report for tracking and follow‑up if needed.
After you submit a report, VAERS staff may contact you for more information if parts of the report are incomplete or if the event is considered serious. But in most cases, the confirmation letter you receive is the only communication.
What Should You Do If You Experienced an Adverse Reaction to a Vaccine?
VAERS data is a key tool for tracking vaccine safety. If you experience a health problem after vaccination, submitting a report to VAERS helps ensure the event is officially documented and contributes to national safety monitoring.
In some cases, serious reactions may make a person eligible to pursue compensation through the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), a federal program designed to provide compensation for certain vaccine-related injuries. However, eligibility is complex, and only specific conditions and vaccines are covered.
If you think you may have a potential vaccine injury, learn more about the VICP.
Anne Carrión Toale, Esq. is a vaccine injury attorney at mctlaw. Anne helps vaccine injury clients get compensation from the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP) before the Vaccine Court in the United States Court of Federal Claims. Ms. Toale has served as past president of the Vaccine Injured Petitioners Bar Association, where she provided education and assistance to other attorneys throughout the United States practicing in the area of vaccine injury compensation.
