Disclaimer

About VAERS Data

The data presented on VaccineWatch comes from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a national early warning system jointly managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Reports Do Not Prove Causation

VAERS reports represent temporal associations, not causal relationships. When an adverse event is reported to VAERS after vaccination, it means the event happened after the vaccine was administered. It does not mean the vaccine caused the event. The event could be:

• Coincidental — the event would have occurred regardless of vaccination
• Related to an underlying medical condition
• Caused by a medication, illness, or other factor unrelated to the vaccine
• A natural occurrence at baseline population rates

Limitations of Passive Surveillance

VAERS is a passive surveillance system, meaning it relies on voluntary reports. This introduces several significant limitations:

• Underreporting: Many adverse events go unreported. Studies suggest that only a fraction of actual adverse events are ever reported to VAERS.
• Stimulated reporting: Media coverage, public concern, or legal incentives can increase reporting for specific vaccines or conditions, inflating numbers independent of actual risk.
• Unverified data: Reports are not verified for medical accuracy before inclusion. Anyone can submit a report, and submissions may contain incomplete, inaccurate, or misleading information.
• No denominator data: VAERS does not include the number of vaccine doses administered. Without this denominator, it is impossible to calculate rates or compare relative risk between vaccines.
• Duplicate reports: The same adverse event may be reported multiple times by different reporters (healthcare providers, patients, family members).

Misuse of VAERS Data

VAERS data has been frequently misrepresented in public discourse. Common misuses include:

• Citing raw report counts as evidence that vaccines caused specific outcomes
• Comparing raw numbers between vaccines without accounting for doses administered
• Presenting death reports as evidence that vaccines kill people, when most deaths in the database are coincidental and occur at expected background rates
• Ignoring that VAERS was designed as a signal detection system, not a proof-of-causation database

How VAERS Data Should Be Used

VAERS serves an important purpose as an early warning system. It is designed to:

• Detect unusual patterns (safety signals) that warrant further investigation
• Identify previously unknown adverse events
• Monitor known adverse events for changes in frequency
• Provide data for more rigorous epidemiological studies

When VAERS detects a signal, it is investigated further using more rigorous methods such as the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD), the Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) project, or other controlled studies that can actually determine causation.

Not Medical, Legal, or Professional Advice

The content on VaccineWatch is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be, and must not be relied upon as, medical, clinical, legal, or professional advice. Nothing on this site creates a doctor-patient relationship, and no material here should be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition. Decisions about vaccination — for yourself, your child, or anyone in your care — should always be made in consultation with a qualified, licensed healthcare professional who can evaluate your individual medical history, risk factors, and circumstances. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call your local emergency number or seek immediate in-person care.

Raw Counts Are Not Risk Rates

Throughout this site we display report counts, outcome counts, and simple ratios drawn directly from VAERS. These figures are not risk rates and must not be read as such. Because VAERS does not record how many doses of each vaccine were administered, there is no denominator with which to calculate the probability that a vaccinated person will experience a given event. Two vaccines with identical report counts can have wildly different true rates if one was given ten times as often as the other. Any percentage shown on VaccineWatch (for example, a “serious outcome rate”) describes the composition of the reports themselves, not the likelihood of harm from a vaccine. See our methodology and our denominator problem analysis for details.

Accuracy, Completeness, and No Warranty

We strive to reproduce the official VAERS data faithfully, but the underlying reports are unverified and may be incomplete, inaccurate, coincidental, or unverifiable. VaccineWatch provides this information “as is” and “as available,” without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to accuracy, completeness, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. To the fullest extent permitted by law, VaccineWatch and TheDataProject.ai disclaim all liability for any loss, injury, or damage arising from the use of, or reliance on, information presented on this site. For authoritative, current information, always defer to the CDC, FDA, and your healthcare provider.

Data Currency and Updates

VaccineWatch processes VAERS data that is released publicly by the CDC and FDA, typically on a weekly basis. There may be a delay between when a report is submitted to VAERS and when it appears in public data downloads. Aggregate statistics shown on this site reflect the most recent data processing cycle and may differ slightly from real-time VAERS counts. Historical data may also be revised as the CDC updates previously submitted reports with follow-up information.

Children's Data and Sensitive Populations

VAERS data includes reports for infants, children, pregnant women, and other sensitive populations. Reports for these groups require especially careful interpretation because background health event rates differ substantially by age, because coincidental events are common in infancy (e.g., SIDS during the peak vaccination window), and because reporting patterns may be influenced by heightened parental concern. Nothing on this site should be used to make vaccination decisions for children or during pregnancy without consulting a qualified healthcare provider.

Use of Statistical Terms

Throughout this site we use terms like “rate,” “percentage,” and “severity rate.” Unless explicitly stated otherwise, these refer to proportions within the VAERS report set — for example, the share of reports for a given vaccine that mention hospitalization. They are not population-based incidence or prevalence rates, because VAERS lacks the denominator (total doses administered) needed for such calculations. For a deeper explanation, see our denominator problem analysis.

International Users

VAERS is a United States reporting system. While some reports originate from outside the U.S. (particularly manufacturer reports), the data primarily reflects the American healthcare system, vaccination schedule, and reporting culture. International visitors should consult their own country's pharmacovigilance authority for locally relevant safety data.

External Links and Third Parties

This site links to external resources, including official government pages and our sister data projects. We do not control and are not responsible for the content, accuracy, or availability of third-party websites. Links are provided for convenience and do not imply endorsement.

Changes to This Disclaimer

We may update this disclaimer periodically to reflect changes in the data, our methodology, or applicable standards. Material changes will be noted on this page. Your continued use of VaccineWatch after any update constitutes acceptance of the revised terms. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

Contact and Feedback

If you believe any content on VaccineWatch is inaccurate, misleading, or presented without sufficient context, we welcome your feedback. Our goal is to present VAERS data as transparently and responsibly as possible, and we take corrections seriously. Visit our About page for contact information.

Scope of Information

VaccineWatch covers adverse event reports submitted to VAERS for vaccines administered in the United States. We do not cover pharmaceutical drugs, medical devices, or non-vaccine biological products. Our analysis is limited to the data fields available in public VAERS data files and does not include confidential medical records, autopsy reports, or follow-up investigations that may be conducted by the CDC or FDA.

Our Commitment

VaccineWatch presents VAERS data transparently with appropriate context. We are committed to:

• Presenting data as-is without editorializing or making causal claims
• Providing context about data limitations on every page
• Not using data to advocate for or against vaccination
• Linking to official CDC/FDA resources for authoritative information

Accessibility

VaccineWatch is committed to making vaccine safety data accessible to all users. We strive to follow web accessibility best practices and welcome feedback on how to improve the experience for users with disabilities. If you encounter barriers to accessing any content on this site, please let us know.

Data Retention and Privacy

VaccineWatch does not collect personally identifiable information from visitors. The VAERS data displayed on this site has been de-identified by the CDC and FDA before public release. No individual patient can be identified from the aggregate statistics and analyses presented here. For details on how the CDC handles VAERS data privacy, refer to the official VAERS website.

Governing Law

This disclaimer and your use of VaccineWatch are governed by applicable United States law. Any disputes arising from the use of this site shall be resolved in accordance with applicable federal and state law. By accessing and using VaccineWatch, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this disclaimer and all applicable terms.

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