Social media users are sharing a new website that compiles both anecdotal reports of adverse events following COVID-19 immunization and information reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). VAERS is a passive surveillance system in which any individual can self-report any health problem following immunization, maintained and monitored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The new website is not affiliated with any health authority or research institution. The site directs its users to search for adverse events in its searchable database, and provides videos, some several hours long, taking viewers through individual self-reported events or exploring news stories on adverse events. Videos are hosted on sites where fact checking is left up to individual users. The site itself is linked to a network of sites known to promote conspiracy theories.
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Self-reported morbidity and mortality allegedly due to COVID-19 vaccines has recently become a strategy by anti-vaccine and conspiracy organizations to undermine trust in government-backed reporting systems and investigations of adverse events. As this strategy is expected to continue, talking points should continue to regularly promote vaccines and their safety and efficacy, and familiarity with the US’ actual vaccine adverse event reporting system is encouraged for public health communicators: https://vaers.hhs.gov Fact Checking Source(s):cdc.gov, news.yahoo.com, vaers.hhs.gov
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