Risk scales: benefits of vaccines far outweigh the risks: World Health Organization vaccine safety supporting document

Overview

The risk of adverse events following vaccination needs to be compared with the risk associated with the disease. The risk of side-effects of the treatment used to alleviate the symptoms of the disease can also be taken into account.

This document illustrates both of these types of risk comparisons for three types of vaccines that are used to prevent highly infectious diseases: measles vaccine, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and Haemophilus influenzae B (‎Hib)‎ vaccine.