The CDC and FDA require additional information on selected VAERS reports for the public health purpose of helping to ensure the safety of U.S. licensed vaccines. You or your health care provider may be contacted for follow-up information by VAERS staff after your report is received. These selected reports are followed up by a team of health care professionals to obtain additional information (such as medical records and autopsy reports) to provide as complete a picture of the case as possible.
All records sent to VAERS are kept confidential as required by law. The patient's consent is not required to release the medical records to VAERS. If you have questions about how the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) applies to VAERS, please visit our VAERS Privacy Policies and Disclaimers section. Submit additional information using the VAERS Auto Upload tool.
VAERS is co-sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), agencies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).