A Clinician’s Handbook for Childhood & Adult Immunizations in Georgia
What is VAERS?
The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) is a national vaccine safety surveillance program co-sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). VAERS collects and analyzes information from reports of adverse events following immunization. By monitoring such events, VAERS helps to identify any important new safety concerns and thereby assists in ensuring that the benefits of vaccines continue to be far greater than the risks.
What events should I report to VAERS?
VAERS encourages the reporting of any clinically significant adverse event that occurs after the administration of any vaccine licensed in the United States. You should report clinically significant adverse events even if you are unsure whether a vaccine caused the event.
The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act requires health care providers to report:
- Any event listed by the vaccine manufacturer as a contraindication to subsequent doses of the vaccine.
- Any event listed in the Reportable Events Table* that occurs within the specified time period after vaccination.
*A copy of the Reportable Events Table can be obtained from the VAERS web site or by calling VAERS at 1-800-822-7967.
Who can report to VAERS?
Anyone can report to VAERS: healthcare providers, vaccine manufacturers, state immunization programs, vaccine recipients and/or their families.
How do I report to VAERS?
There are two ways to submit an online report to VAERS:
- Option 1 – Report online to VAERS. The report must be completed online and submitted in one sitting and cannot be saved and returned to at a later time.
- Option 2 – Download the writable PDF form to a computer and complete the VAERS report offline. Once the form is completed upload and submit to VAERS.
How do I report to VAERS?
There are two ways to submit an online Report to VAERS:
- Option 1 – Report online to VAERS. The report must be completed online and submitted in one sitting and cannot be saved and returned to at a later time.
- Option 2 – Download the writable PDF form to a computer and complete the VAERS report offline. Once the form is completed upload and submit to VAERS.
Private health care providers should report directly to VAERS via the options listed above.
Public health care providers should report directly to VAERS and also send a copy of the report to the state immunization program via fax to 404-657-1463.