⚠️

Important: VAERS reports alone cannot determine if a vaccine caused an adverse event. Reports may contain incomplete, inaccurate, or unverified information. Correlation does not equal causation.

Vaccine Manufacturers

VAERS adverse event reports broken down by vaccine manufacturer. These numbers reflect reporting patterns and market presence, not relative safety.

Manufacturer report counts are driven primarily by market share and the types of vaccines produced. Companies producing COVID-19 vaccines dominate recent data due to the unprecedented scale of the vaccination campaign. Comparing manufacturers requires accounting for doses administered, not just raw reports.

Manufacturers

In VAERS database

1,983,260

Total Reports

All manufacturers

27,732

Deaths

All manufacturers

143,653

Hospitalizations

All manufacturers

💡 Key Insights

→Three manufacturers dominate: Pfizer / BioNTech, Moderna, and Merck & Co. account for 78% of all VAERS reports — reflecting their massive market share from COVID-19 mRNA vaccines and legacy vaccine portfolios.

→Report count ≠ safety profile. Pfizer has the most reports because they manufactured the most-used COVID-19 vaccine in the US. Comparing manufacturers requires controlling for doses administered, patient demographics, and reporting era.

→19 manufacturers have fewer than 1,000 reports — these make niche vaccines (rabies, yellow fever, anthrax) given to small populations, making statistical comparisons unreliable.

→Legacy manufacturers like Merck have decades of data spanning dozens of vaccine types, while newer companies like BioNTech emerged in 2021. Time span matters when comparing totals.

All Manufacturers

Manufacturer	Total Reports ↓	Deaths	Hospitalizations	Market Share
Pfizer / BioNTech	559,257	12,677	67,668	21.2%
Moderna	514,569	11,510	47,956	19.5%
Merck & Co.	479,971	4,153	28,968	18.2%
Sanofi Pasteur	254,751	2,999	18,549	9.7%
GlaxoSmithKline	234,457	1,990	11,266	8.9%
Pfizer / Wyeth	148,809	4,987	19,597	5.6%
Unknown Manufacturer	137,360	2,202	10,937	5.2%
Janssen	81,533	2,676	10,511	3.1%
Novartis	49,884	183	2,210	1.9%
Connaught Laboratories	37,429	989	4,232	1.4%
Smithkline Beecham	29,747	690	2,413	1.1%
Seqirus	22,370	130	859	0.8%
MedImmune	13,362	84	925	0.5%
Lederle Laboratories	12,319	437	1,418	0.5%
Emergent BioSolutions	12,308	99	1,791	0.5%
CSL Limited	9,844	40	502	0.4%
Connaught Ltd.	7,060	387	1,186	0.3%
Michigan Dept Pub Hlth	3,735	30	256	0.1%
Protein Sciences Corporation	3,721	10	90	0.1%
Berna Biotech, Ltd.	3,313	4	97	0.1%

Showing 1 to 20 of 47

Page 1 of 3

Top Manufacturers by Reports

These manufacturers have the highest number of VAERS reports. This typically reflects market share and vaccine distribution, not safety profiles.

1. Pfizer / BioNTech

559,257 reports (28.2%)

12,677 deaths

2. Moderna

514,569 reports (25.9%)

11,510 deaths

3. Merck & Co.

479,971 reports (24.2%)

4,153 deaths

4. Sanofi Pasteur

254,751 reports (12.8%)

2,999 deaths

5. GlaxoSmithKline

234,457 reports (11.8%)

1,990 deaths

6. Pfizer / Wyeth

148,809 reports (7.5%)

4,987 deaths

Understanding Manufacturer Names

Vaccine manufacturer names in VAERS can be confusing because of mergers, acquisitions, and name changes over 35 years of data:

Pfizer-BioNTech

COVID-19 vaccine jointly developed. Reports may list either company or both. Pfizer also manufactures Prevnar (pneumococcal) and other non-COVID vaccines.

Merck & Co

One of the oldest vaccine manufacturers. Produces MMR, varicella, HPV (Gardasil), rotavirus (RotaTeq), shingles (Zostavax), and hepatitis vaccines.

GSK (GlaxoSmithKline)

Produces Shingrix, hepatitis vaccines, Rotarix, and the Arexvy RSV vaccine. Historically operated as SmithKline Beecham before merging.

Sanofi Pasteur

Major producer of flu vaccines, DTaP, polio, and meningococcal vaccines. Reports may list Sanofi, Sanofi Pasteur, or historical names like Aventis Pasteur.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I choose which manufacturer's vaccine I get?

For some vaccines, yes — particularly flu and COVID-19 vaccines where multiple products are available. For most childhood vaccines, a single product dominates the market. Discuss preferences with your healthcare provider.

Does a manufacturer with fewer reports make safer vaccines?

Not necessarily. Fewer reports typically mean fewer doses administered, not a safer product. All FDA-approved vaccines meet the same safety standards regardless of manufacturer.

Understanding Manufacturer Data

•Market presence: More reports often mean more vaccines distributed, not necessarily more problems

•Time in market: Companies producing vaccines longer may have accumulated more reports over time

•Vaccine types: Different vaccine types (live vs. inactivated) may have different reporting patterns

Market Share vs. Safety

•COVID-19 impact: COVID vaccine manufacturers dominate recent reports due to mass vaccination campaigns

•Denominator matters: Safety should be evaluated per dose administered, not total reports

•Regulatory oversight: All manufacturers must meet the same FDA safety and efficacy standards

Explore More VAERS Data

104 Vaccines Manufacturer Analysis Lot Analysis Dashboard Compare Vaccines Reporting Rates

⚠️

Important: VAERS reports alone cannot determine if a vaccine caused an adverse event. Reports may contain incomplete, inaccurate, or unverified information. Correlation does not equal causation.

Vaccine Manufacturers

VAERS adverse event reports broken down by vaccine manufacturer. These numbers reflect reporting patterns and market presence, not relative safety.

Manufacturers

In VAERS database

1,983,260

Total Reports

All manufacturers

27,732

Deaths

All manufacturers

143,653

Hospitalizations

All manufacturers

💡 Key Insights

→19 manufacturers have fewer than 1,000 reports — these make niche vaccines (rabies, yellow fever, anthrax) given to small populations, making statistical comparisons unreliable.

→Legacy manufacturers like Merck have decades of data spanning dozens of vaccine types, while newer companies like BioNTech emerged in 2021. Time span matters when comparing totals.

All Manufacturers

Manufacturer	Total Reports ↓	Deaths	Hospitalizations	Market Share
Pfizer / BioNTech	559,257	12,677	67,668	21.2%
Moderna	514,569	11,510	47,956	19.5%
Merck & Co.	479,971	4,153	28,968	18.2%
Sanofi Pasteur	254,751	2,999	18,549	9.7%
GlaxoSmithKline	234,457	1,990	11,266	8.9%
Pfizer / Wyeth	148,809	4,987	19,597	5.6%
Unknown Manufacturer	137,360	2,202	10,937	5.2%
Janssen	81,533	2,676	10,511	3.1%
Novartis	49,884	183	2,210	1.9%
Connaught Laboratories	37,429	989	4,232	1.4%
Smithkline Beecham	29,747	690	2,413	1.1%
Seqirus	22,370	130	859	0.8%
MedImmune	13,362	84	925	0.5%
Lederle Laboratories	12,319	437	1,418	0.5%
Emergent BioSolutions	12,308	99	1,791	0.5%
CSL Limited	9,844	40	502	0.4%
Connaught Ltd.	7,060	387	1,186	0.3%
Michigan Dept Pub Hlth	3,735	30	256	0.1%
Protein Sciences Corporation	3,721	10	90	0.1%
Berna Biotech, Ltd.	3,313	4	97	0.1%

Showing 1 to 20 of 47

Page 1 of 3

Top Manufacturers by Reports

These manufacturers have the highest number of VAERS reports. This typically reflects market share and vaccine distribution, not safety profiles.

1. Pfizer / BioNTech

559,257 reports (28.2%)

12,677 deaths

2. Moderna

514,569 reports (25.9%)

11,510 deaths

3. Merck & Co.

479,971 reports (24.2%)

4,153 deaths

4. Sanofi Pasteur

254,751 reports (12.8%)

2,999 deaths

5. GlaxoSmithKline

234,457 reports (11.8%)

1,990 deaths

6. Pfizer / Wyeth

148,809 reports (7.5%)

4,987 deaths

Understanding Manufacturer Names

Vaccine manufacturer names in VAERS can be confusing because of mergers, acquisitions, and name changes over 35 years of data:

Pfizer-BioNTech

COVID-19 vaccine jointly developed. Reports may list either company or both. Pfizer also manufactures Prevnar (pneumococcal) and other non-COVID vaccines.

Merck & Co

One of the oldest vaccine manufacturers. Produces MMR, varicella, HPV (Gardasil), rotavirus (RotaTeq), shingles (Zostavax), and hepatitis vaccines.

GSK (GlaxoSmithKline)

Produces Shingrix, hepatitis vaccines, Rotarix, and the Arexvy RSV vaccine. Historically operated as SmithKline Beecham before merging.

Sanofi Pasteur

Major producer of flu vaccines, DTaP, polio, and meningococcal vaccines. Reports may list Sanofi, Sanofi Pasteur, or historical names like Aventis Pasteur.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I choose which manufacturer's vaccine I get?

Does a manufacturer with fewer reports make safer vaccines?

Not necessarily. Fewer reports typically mean fewer doses administered, not a safer product. All FDA-approved vaccines meet the same safety standards regardless of manufacturer.

Understanding Manufacturer Data

•Market presence: More reports often mean more vaccines distributed, not necessarily more problems

•Time in market: Companies producing vaccines longer may have accumulated more reports over time

•Vaccine types: Different vaccine types (live vs. inactivated) may have different reporting patterns

Market Share vs. Safety

•COVID-19 impact: COVID vaccine manufacturers dominate recent reports due to mass vaccination campaigns

•Denominator matters: Safety should be evaluated per dose administered, not total reports

•Regulatory oversight: All manufacturers must meet the same FDA safety and efficacy standards

Explore More VAERS Data

104 Vaccines Manufacturer Analysis Lot Analysis Dashboard Compare Vaccines Reporting Rates