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Data source: VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System)

Data through 2026 · Updated quarterly

Built by TheDataProject.ai · © 2026 VaccineWatch

Important: VAERS accepts reports of adverse events following vaccination. For any given report, there is no certainty that the reported event was caused by the vaccine. Reports may contain information that is incomplete, inaccurate, coincidental, or unverifiable. Most reports to VAERS are voluntary, which means they are subject to biases. This data cannot be used to determine if vaccines cause or contribute to adverse events.

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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.

  1. Home
  2. Vaccines
  3. Zoster Live (Zostavax)

Zoster Live (Zostavax)

VARZOS140,312 total reports
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Manufacturers:

GlaxoSmithKlineMerck & Co.Unknown Manufacturer

Zoster Live (Zostavax) has 140,312 reports in VAERS spanning from 1990 to 2026. Of these reports, 397 mentioned death, 4,720 involved hospitalization, and 17,582 required emergency department visits. This vaccine is manufactured by: GlaxoSmithKline, Merck & Co., Unknown Manufacturer. This vaccine accounts for 7.1% of all 1,983,260 reports in the VAERS database.

140,312
Total Reports
397
Deaths
4,720
Hospitalizations
17,582
ER Visits
2,991
Disabilities

About Zoster Live (Zostavax)

Zoster Live (Zostavax) has 140,312 reports in VAERS spanning from 1990 to 2026.

Of these reports, 397 mentioned death, 4,720 involved hospitalization, and 17,582 required emergency department visits.

This vaccine is manufactured by: GlaxoSmithKline, Merck & Co., Unknown Manufacturer.

This vaccine accounts for 7.1% of all 1,983,260 reports in the VAERS database.

Reporting Rate

This vaccine averages 6,682 reports per year over 21 years of reporting (2006–2026).

Understanding These Numbers

•Reports don't prove causation. They represent temporal associations where someone experienced an event after vaccination.
•Background rates matter. Many conditions occur naturally and may coincidentally happen after vaccination.
•Reporting varies by vaccine. Newer vaccines or those in the news may have higher reporting rates due to increased awareness.

Most Reported Symptoms

1. Herpes zoster(all)
25,286
2. Pain(all)
21,018
3. Injection site erythema(all)
18,142
4. Pyrexia(all)
17,849
5. Injection site pain(all)
16,520
6. Headache(all)
15,359
7. Chills(all)
14,334
8. Pain in extremity(all)
13,652
9. Rash(all)
12,501
10. Injection site swelling(all)
12,334

Top Reporting States

1. California9,456
2. Florida7,068
3. Pennsylvania6,248
4. Texas5,842
5. New York5,718
6. Ohio4,141
7. North Carolina4,014
8. Michigan3,500

Reports by Year

202649
20256,468
20246,298
20238,908
20229,544
202114,538
202013,066
201918,930
201819,133
20173,900

Explore Further

⚖️ Compare VARZOS with OthersRead Analysis Articles

Related Analysis

📋 Side Effects Guide →The Denominator ProblemUnderstanding Reporting BiasWhen Do Side Effects Start?Death Reports Deep DiveSerious Outcomes AnalysisMost Common Symptoms

Data Source

This data comes from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), jointly managed by CDC and FDA.