What is VAERS?

What is VAERS?

• A. A private database maintained by pharmaceutical companies.
• B. A national vaccine safety surveillance program created by the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 and co-sponsored by the CDC/FDA.
• C. A clinical trial registry for vaccines.
• D. A government funding mechanism for vaccine development.

Answer: (B)

VAERS is the national vaccine safety surveillance system in the United States. It was created by the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 and is co-sponsored by the CDC and FDA. The system collects reports of adverse events that occur after vaccination from health professionals, patients, and the public to monitor vaccine safety and detect any unusual patterns that might require further investigation. It’s a passive reporting system, meaning reports come in from various sources and don’t prove that a vaccine caused an event, but they help identify potential safety signals for more study. It’s not a private database, not a clinical trial registry, and not a funding mechanism.

VAERS is the national vaccine safety surveillance system in the United States. It was created by the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 and is co-sponsored by the CDC and FDA. The system collects reports of adverse events that occur after vaccination from health professionals, patients, and the public to monitor vaccine safety and detect any unusual patterns that might require further investigation. It’s a passive reporting system, meaning reports come in from various sources and don’t prove that a vaccine caused an event, but they help identify potential safety signals for more study. It’s not a private database, not a clinical trial registry, and not a funding mechanism.