Overview
- Encourages individuals to assess their risk of exposure to a specific disease before deciding on vaccination.
- Explains how to weigh disease risks against vaccine risks and benefits.
- Defines key safety terms such as adverse events, side effects, and reactogenicity.
- Clarifies that vaccine leaflets list all reported events, even if not proven to be caused by the vaccine.
- Highlights that vaccines reduce infection, severe complications, hospitalization, and death.
- Describes the rigorous licensing process and ongoing safety monitoring.
- Explains the role of national expert groups (NITAGs) in making vaccine recommendations.
- Notes that reimbursement policies and compensation schemes exist in many countries for rare, serious adverse events.
