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. VAERS collects and analyzes information from reports of adverse events following immunization. By monitoring such events, VAERS can help to identify important new safety concerns.
The VICP is a no-fault alternative to the traditional tort system for resolving vaccine injury claims. It was established as part of the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 and provides compensation to people found to be injured by certain vaccines. The VICP covers all vaccines recommended by CDC for routine administration to children.
CDC developed the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) project in 1990. This project involves partnerships with seven large health maintenance organizations (HMOs) to continually monitor vaccine safety. VSD is an example of a large-linked database and includes information on more than six million people. Available data include vaccine type, date of vaccination, concurrent vaccinations (those given during the same visit), the manufacturer, lot number and injection site. Medical records are then monitored for potential adverse events resulting from immunization.
The Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) Network is a collaborative effort between CDC and seven clinical centers in the United States. The primary goals of the network are to improve the scientific understanding of vaccine safety issues through research and to serve as a source of clinical expertise in evaluation of adverse events following immunization.
Additional vaccine safety information can be found at the following web sites: