Vaccine Safety
Vaccine facts
The United States currently has the safest, most effective vaccine supply in history. By law the FDA requires years of testing before a vaccine can be licensed. Once a vaccine is in use, the CDC and FDA monitor vaccine safety, efficacy, and side effects through the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). For more information visit the VAERS website or or call the information line at: 1-800-822-7967.
What should be done if someone has a reaction to a vaccine
- Call a doctor. If the person is having a severe reaction get him or her to a doctor right away.
- After any reaction, tell your doctor what happened, the date and time it happened, and when the vaccination was given.
- Ask your doctor, nurse, or health department to file a VAERS form, or call 1-800-822-7967.
Not vaccinating your child? Be aware of the risks.
Immunizations, like any medication, can cause side effects. However, a decision not to immunize a child also involves risk. It is a decision to put the child and others who come into contact with him or her at risk of contracting a disease that could be dangerous or deadly. Consider measles. One out of 30 children with measles gets pneumonia. For every 1,000 children who get the disease, one or two will die from it. Thanks to vaccines, we have few cases of measles in the U.S. today. However, the disease is extremely contagious and each year dozens of cases come from abroad into the U.S., threatening the health of people who have not been vaccinated and those for whom the vaccine was not effective. Unvaccinated children are also at risk from meningitis (swelling of the lining of the brain) caused by Hib (a severe bacterial infection), bloodstream infections caused by pneumococcus, deafness caused by mumps, and liver cancer caused by hepatitis B virus.
More information about vaccine safety