Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) is a national early warning system to detect possible safety problems in US-licensed vaccines.” It is co-managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The primary objectives of VAERS are to:

• Detect new, unusual, or rare vaccine adverse events.
• Monitor increases in known adverse events.
• Identify potential patient risk factors for particular types of adverse events.
• Identify vaccine lots with increased numbers or types of reported adverse events.
• Assess the safety of newly licensed vaccines.

Key Things to Know

• Anyone with a concern about an adverse immunization event can report to VAERS.
• Healthcare providers are required by the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act to report any adverse event listed by the vaccine manufacturer as a contraindication to further doses of the vaccine or any adverse event listed in the VAERS Table of Reportable Events Following Vaccination​ that occurs within the specified time period after vaccination.

Learn more about VAERS here.

Report an adverse event to VAERS here.