Are vaccines tested and monitored for safety?

On a new episode of Dr. Phil’s primetime TV show, RFK Jr. claims that vaccines aren’t safety tested, were never tested against placebos, that over 99% of vaccine injuries go unreported, that vaccines can cause autism, that the mumps vaccine doesn’t work, and that we don’t really know if vaccines are safe

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. makes several claims about vaccines that sound concerning but are not true. One of his biggest claims is that vaccines were never tested for safety, but that’s simply false. Before any vaccine is approved, it goes through years of safety testing in labs and in clinical trials with real people. These trials include thousands of participants and often compare vaccinated groups to placebo groups or to groups getting other vaccines. For example, the MMR vaccine (for measles, mumps, and rubella) was tested and studied for years before it was licensed, and it’s been used safely for decades since then. Scientists still track vaccine safety after approval using systems like VAERS and the Vaccine Safety Datalink, and researchers constantly update safety info with new data.

Kennedy also says that vaccines were never tested against placebos, but that’s not true either. Many vaccines, including the HPV and rotavirus vaccines, have been studied in large clinical trials that used placebos. These trials help scientists find out exactly what reactions are caused by the vaccine and what might be caused by other factors. Even when vaccines aren’t tested with an inert placebo, they are compared to similar injections to make the studies fair and ethical.

Another wrong claim is that more than 99% of vaccine injuries go unreported. This idea comes from a report, not a “Harvard study,” about using electronic health records to improve reporting to VAERS. The report, which used data from 2007–2010, didn’t explain where the 1% number came from, and it wasn’t based on all kinds of vaccine side effects—just a sample of one hospital system. Since then, VAERS has made it easier to report events online, so the amount of data collected has likely improved. Serious vaccine-related problems are rare, and when they do happen, they’re more likely to be reported than mild ones like a sore arm. https://digital.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/docs/publication/r18hs017045-lazarus-final-report-2011.pdf

The claim that vaccines cause autism is one of the most dangerous pieces of misinformation. Dozens of studies have shown no link between vaccines and autism. Scientists have studied this for years, looking at hundreds of thousands of kids, and have always found the same result: vaccines don’t cause autism. In fact, researchers now know that autism begins before birth. Brain autopsies show that differences in the brain’s structure and organization begin in the womb, long before any vaccines are given. Genes and early brain development—not vaccines—are responsible.

Kennedy also falsely says that the mumps part of the MMR vaccine doesn’t work. That’s not true. The MMR vaccine is about 88% effective at preventing mumps after two doses. It has greatly reduced the number of people who get mumps, and even if someone who got the vaccine does get sick, they usually have a milder illness. Without the vaccine, mumps used to cause painful swelling, hearing loss, and even infertility in some people.

Finally, the idea that we don’t really know if vaccines are safe just doesn’t match reality. Vaccines are among the most studied medical products ever made. They are tested before they are approved and monitored for years afterward. Scientists around the world keep checking safety data, and they are quick to act if they find problems. Thanks to vaccines, we have wiped out smallpox, nearly eliminated polio, and saved millions of lives from deadly diseases like measles, whooping cough, and meningitis.

When people repeat these false claims, they scare parents and put public health at risk. Instead of guessing or trusting rumors, it’s better to ask real experts, read good science, and remember that vaccines are one of the most important ways we protect ourselves and our communities.

Sources:

1. Voices for Vaccines: Are Childhood Vaccines Well-Tested?
2. Voices for Vaccines: Vaccine Safety
3. Voices for Vaccines: MMR Vaccine Information
4. CDC: Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)
5. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: Vaccines and Autism
6. FDA: VAERS – A Critical Part of the National Vaccine Safety System
7. AP Fact Check: VAERS Misuse
8. Cochrane Review: MMR Vaccine Effectiveness
9. CDC: Vaccine Safety Datalink
10. NIH: Autism Brain Differences Start in the Womb