“Vaccine Injury Awareness Month” Events promoted for October

October has been designated as Vaccine Injury Awareness Month by many vaccine opponents. A group in Michigan is promoting its fourth annual Vaccine Injury Awareness Walk on October 7 in Waterford. The group’s website also features several stories about people who believe that they or their loved ones have sustained an alleged “vaccine injury,” such as autism. Another group in Iowa is promoting their “vaccine risk awareness” conference, which will be held on October 28 in Des Moines and will feature several prominent figures known for expressing criticism of vaccines.

Risk level: Medium

Recommendation: These types of events perpetuate misinformation about vaccines, including the common myth that vaccines cause autism, which may discourage patients from getting recommended vaccinations. This may result in negative health outcomes. It is recommended that doctors be prepared for questions about adverse reactions to vaccines and emphasize that credible studies have found no link between vaccines and autism.