Reporting adverse events after receiving a vaccine helps you and others, Elizabeth Tracey reports

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:05 — 1.5MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Do you know about the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System, or VAERS? This organization tracks and investigates bad reactions people have after receiving a vaccine. Pharmacist Victoria DeJaco at Johns Hopkins says both you and the provider who administered the shot can report.

DeJaco: It's called the VAERS system. The VAERS system it's supposed to be done by the people who administer it. I think it's a 48 hour window where you're required by law to report everything that went on. There however are multiple layers to this reporting system so there's for the doctors and there's also for the patients as well. The bottom line is that we have a lot of regulation that goes through reporting of these side effects. The reason being is because we've used this system to look at post market surveillance of different vaccines.  :29

DeJaco says the VAERS system has historically provided early warning when vaccines were associated with adverse reactions, sometimes resulting in their withdrawal. She notes that reporting protects the recipient and others so she encourages people to do so. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.