As of December 27, 2024, there have been 217,781 adverse events reported to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) in connection with diphtheria and diphtheria-containing vaccines combined with additional vaccines since 1990, including 3,496 related deaths, 26,078 hospitalizations, and 3,848 related disabilities. However, the numbers of vaccine-related injuries and deaths reported to VAERS may not reflect the true number of serious health problems that occur develop after diphtheria vaccination.
Even though the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 legally required pediatricians and other vaccine providers to report serious health problems following vaccination to federal health agencies (VAERS), many doctors and other medical workers giving vaccines to children and adults fail to report vaccine-related health problems to VAERS. There is evidence that only between one and 10 percent of serious health problems that occur after use of prescription drugs or vaccines in the U.S. are ever reported to federal health officials, who are responsible for regulating the safety of drugs and vaccines and issue national vaccine policy recommendations.
