The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (NCVIA) of 1986 requires all health professionals and vaccine manufacturers to report specific adverse events (possible side effects) that occur after the administration of routinely recommended vaccines. Those reports are submitted via the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a national vaccine safety surveillance program that helps to detect unusual or unexpected reporting patterns of adverse events for vaccines.

Under the NCVIA, healthcare providers are required by law to report to VAERS:

• Any adverse event listed in the VAERS Table of Reportable Events Following Vaccination (PDF) that occurs within the specified time period after vaccinations
• An adverse event listed by the vaccine manufacturer as a contraindication to further doses of the vaccine

VAERS is a passive reporting system, meaning it relies on healthcare providers and individuals to send in reports of patient adverse experiences. VAERS does not determine if a vaccine caused a side effect; rather by accepting and analyzing reports of adverse events, it helps detect unusual or unexpected patterns of adverse event reporting that might indicate a possible safety problem with a vaccine. Anyone – including patients and their family members – can report an adverse event to VAERS.

Learn more about VAERS and how to report an adverse event. If you need further assistance with reporting to VAERS, please email info@VAERS.org or call 1-800-822-7967.

Resources

• Understanding the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)
• VAERS Brochure for General Public (English) (PDF)
• VAERS Brochure for General Public (Spanish) (PDF)