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.
5,309 adverse event reports (+32% vs 2012)
In 2013, 5,309 adverse event reports were filed for Zoster Live (Zostavax) in VAERS. This represents 3.8% of all 140,312 reports for this vaccine.
Of these reports, 15 mentioned death, 119 involved hospitalization, 1,342 required ER visits, and 32 reported disability.
Compared to the average of 6,673 reports per year for this vaccine, 2013 was below average (-20%).
In 2013, reporting for Zoster Live (Zostavax) was within typical ranges. As always, VAERS data reflects reports filed, not confirmed adverse events. Trends should be interpreted alongside vaccination volume and population health data.
This data comes from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), jointly managed by CDC and FDA.