Vaccine Safety

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently added misleading claims to its autism webpage. We want to be clear: decades of high-quality, large-scale studies show that vaccines do not cause autism. "Parents deserve peace of mind. Decades of rigorous research have shown vaccines do not cause autism," said Dr. Susan Kressly, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. "Vaccines are one of the safest and most effective ways to protect children's health and help them thrive."

– American Academy of Pediatrics

Questions about vaccine safety are common and understandable. Vaccine safety is important to everyone. This is why vaccines are thoroughly tested and continuously monitored. There are great resources to help understand the complexity of vaccine ingredients, side effects, and immune health. Here are a few resources to help understand these topics.

Vaccine Ingredients

Today’s vaccines use only the ingredients they need to be safe and effective.

Vaccine Ingredients
All vaccine ingredients serve a purpose. Find what goes into vaccines and what these ingredients do.

Components of Vaccines
View components of vaccines by vaccine type, prepared using the Physician's Desk Reference and the manufacturer's package inserts.

Vaccines go through many years of safety and effectiveness testing. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) looks at the results of these tests to decide whether to license the vaccine for use in the United States.

Learn more about vaccine safety

For Families and Individuals

Institute for Vaccine Safety

Use these resources to find more science-based information that you can trust.

Vaccines must pass many phases of safety testing before they reach your child. They continue to be monitored for safety and efficacy even after they've been approved.

The Journey of your Child's Vaccine

Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS)

The Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) is the U.S. frontline vaccine safety monitoring system, and providers play an important role in identifying and reporting potential adverse events to VAERS.

Report an Adverse Event