Gender Disparities in Reporting

Why Do Women Report More?

The gender gap in VAERS reporting is not unique — it's consistent with broader patterns in healthcare utilization and adverse drug reaction reporting worldwide. Several factors contribute:

• Healthcare engagement: Women are more likely to visit healthcare providers, seek preventive care, and receive vaccines — creating more opportunities for reporting
• Immune response differences: Research suggests women may experience stronger immune responses to vaccines, potentially leading to more noticeable side effects
• Reporting behavior: Studies consistently show women are more likely to report adverse drug reactions across all medication categories, not just vaccines
• Pregnancy-related reporting: Vaccines given during pregnancy generate additional reporting from both the patient and their healthcare provider
• Occupational exposure: Women represent a majority of healthcare workers, who are often required to receive certain vaccines and report adverse events

Gender and Outcome Severity

While women file more reports overall, the rate of serious outcomes (deaths, hospitalizations) per report tends to be similar across genders. This suggests the gender gap is primarily in reporting behavior, not in the severity of adverse events experienced.

The 172,154 reports with unknown gender (9%) represent a significant data limitation. Many older reports and manufacturer-submitted reports do not include gender information.