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Abstract
Immunizations against most vaccine-preventable diseases will be needed indefinitely
unless the disease is eradicated. Public acceptance of immunizations may be threatened
as vaccine coverage increases and disease decreases, however, due to the increase
in both causally and coincidentally related vaccine adverse events. The post-marketing
surveillance for such events in the USA in response to the mandatory reporting requirements
of the National Childhood Injury Act of 1986. While VAERS has many methodological
limitations intrinsic to such systems, it can play an important role in helping to
monitor vaccine safety and maintain public confidence in immunizations.