Important: VAERS reports alone cannot determine if a vaccine caused an adverse event. Reports may contain incomplete, inaccurate, or unverified information. Correlation does not equal causation.
Who reports the most adverse events, and who experiences the most serious outcomes? Age is one of the most important factors in understanding VAERS data.
VAERS reports span all ages, from newborns to the elderly. But the distribution is far from uniform. Adults aged 18-49 file the most reports (558,025), which makes sense given this is the largest demographic group.
However, when we look at serious outcomes, the picture shifts dramatically. The 65+ age group accounts for 56% of all death reports and 40% of hospitalizations, despite representing just 20% of total reports.
The 0-2 age group has 149,466 reports with 3,406 death reports. This is a significant number that requires careful context:
The concentration of death reports in the 65+ group reflects a fundamental reality: older adults have higher baseline mortality rates. When millions of elderly people are vaccinated, some will experience serious health events purely by coincidence in the days and weeks following vaccination.
During the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, the elderly were prioritized for early vaccination. This population was already at highest risk for COVID-19 and had the highest baseline mortality rate. The temporal proximity of vaccination and natural health events creates inevitable coincidental reports.