Simone Smith
It is a well-known fact that vaccine companies are immune from liability for injuries caused by their products, and therefore have no incentive to make them safe. Due to this, the public health regulators have an amplified responsibility to monitor adverse events.
There is a lack of reporting that delays problem detection. CDC researchers agree that surveillance systems that “detect adverse events as soon as possible after the introduction of new vaccines” are essential to “speed the recognition of increased rates of adverse events” and “inform public policy.”
This is the reason that the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) was introduced in 1990. It is a passive reporting system, meaning it relies on individuals to send in reports of their experiences. Anyone can submit a report to VAERS, including parents and patients.
Healthcare providers are required by law to report to VAERS:
- Any adverse event listed in the VAERS Table of Reportable Events Following Vaccination that occurs within the specified time period after vaccinations
- An adverse event listed by the vaccine manufacturer as a contraindication to further doses of the vaccine
Healthcare providers are strongly encouraged to report to VAERS:
- Any adverse event that occurs after the administration of a vaccine licensed in the United States, whether it is or is not clear that a vaccine caused the adverse event
- Vaccine administration errors
Vaccine manufacturers are required to report to VAERS all adverse events that come to their attention.
There have been some shortcomings found with the VAERS systems. They include health professionals (and vaccine recipients’) inability to recognize (or even suspect) a possible relationship between a given vaccine and the adverse outcomes. There are also powerful disincentives for physicians to acknowledge or report vaccine injuries. Then there is the uncertainty surrounding which adverse events ought to be reported.
If you believe that you have been adversely affected by the Covid-19 vaccine report it at https://vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html
