Vaccine Safety Roadmap
This roadmap provides recommended messaging and strategies for addressing concerns about vaccine safety. Community-based organizations, health departments, providers, and others can use these tools to promote vaccine safety in a respectful way and engage parents and patients in shared decision making.
How can my organization address parents’ and teenagers’ concerns about vaccine safety?
Parents/caregivers and patients may have several types of questions or concerns about the safety of vaccines. Talking through vaccine safety can help parents/caregivers or patients feel more confident in choosing to immunize their child or themselves. Below, we provide resources to help address several types of common concerns:
How do I know that the ingredients in vaccines are safe?
Factsheet: What Goes Into a Vaccine? (English, Spanish)
Format:
Graphic / Image,
Document (Text)
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Factsheet: What Goes Into a Vaccine? Spotlight on Thimerosal (English, Spanish)
Format:
Graphic / Image,
Document (Text)
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Factsheet: What Goes Into a Vaccine? Spotlight on Formaldehyde (English, Spanish)
Format:
Graphic / Image,
Document (Text)
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Factsheet: Three Important Things to Know About Aluminum and Vaccines
Format:
Document (Text)
Language(s):
English
Factsheet: Vaccine Ingredients - What You Should Know (English, Spanish)
Format:
Document (Text)
Race/Ethnicity:
Black/African American
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Factsheet: Adjuvants and Vaccine Safety
Format:
Website
Language(s):
English
Talking Points: Here’s Why We Know COVID-19 Vaccine Ingredients Are Safe (English, Spanish)
Format:
Document (Text)
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
How are vaccines made and tested for safety?
Social Media: Video Outlines the Steps of Developing and Approving a Vaccine (English, Spanish) (0:42)
Format:
Video
Race/Ethnicity:
Multiple Races/Ethnicities
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Factsheet: Vaccine Safety Infographic (English, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian)
Format:
Document (Text)
Language(s):
English,
Russian,
Spanish,
Ukrainian
Factsheet and Graphics: The Process for Developing Safe and Effective Vaccines (English, Spanish)
Format:
Graphic / Image,
Document (Text)
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Social Media: Video Highlights That Vaccines are Tested (English, Spanish) (0:22)
Format:
Video
Race/Ethnicity:
Multiple Races/Ethnicities
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Factsheet: Developing Safe Vaccines (English, Dari, Kinyarwanda, Pashto, Swahili, Ukrainian)
Format:
Document (Text)
Language(s):
English,
Dari,
Kinyarwanda,
Pashto,
Swahili,
Ukrainian
Factsheet: Developing Safe and Effective Vaccines
Format:
Website
Language(s):
English
Video: How Are Vaccines Tested Before They Can Be Given to Kids? (2:08)
Format:
Video
Language(s):
English
How do I know vaccines will not cause serious side effects?
Video: Why Does My Child Get a Fever After Getting Vaccinated? (English, Spanish, Dari) (0:45)
Format:
Video
Language(s):
Dari,
English,
Spanish
Social Media: Graphic on the Benefits vs. Risks of COVID-19 Vaccines (English, Spanish)
Format:
Graphic / Image
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Video: Vaccine Worries - Dispelling Myths and Embracing Safety (1:14)
Format:
Video
Race/Ethnicity:
Hispanic, Latinx, Latino, Latina
Language(s):
English
Video: COVID-19 Vaccines are Safe and Side Effects are Normal (0:24) (English, 44 Languages)
Format:
Video
Race/Ethnicity:
Asian,
Black/African American,
Hispanic, Latinx, Latino, Latina,
Middle Eastern,
Multiple Races/Ethnicities,
Pacific Islander
Language(s):
Afar,
Amharic,
Arabic,
Burmese,
Cantonese,
Chin Hakha,
Chinese,
Dari,
Dinka,
English,
Farsi,
French,
Haitian Creole,
Hmong,
Karen,
Karenni,
Kinyarwanda,
Korean,
Lao,
Lingala,
Mam,
Mandarin,
Marshallese,
Mixteco,
Nepali,
Oromo,
Pashto,
Popti',
Portuguese ,
Q'anjob'al,
Rohingya,
Russian,
Sango,
Sinhala,
Somali,
Spanish,
Swahili,
Tagalog,
Tamil,
Telugu,
Tigrinya,
Ukrainian,
Urdu,
Vietnamese
Social Media: Graphic Emphasizes that COVID-19 Vaccines Are Safe For Your Heart (English, Spanish)
Format:
Graphic / Image
Race/Ethnicity:
Multiple Races/Ethnicities
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Video: Will My Child’s Future Fertility Be Affected by the COVID Vaccine? (0:41)
Format:
Video
Language(s):
English
How does the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System work?
Video: How VAERS Works to Ensure Vaccine Safety (2:04)
Format:
Video
Race/Ethnicity:
Multiple Races/Ethnicities
Language(s):
English
Social Media: Graphics Explain the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (English, Spanish)
Format:
Graphic / Image
Race/Ethnicity:
Multiple Races/Ethnicities
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Factsheet: Proof That Vaccine Monitoring Works (English, Spanish)
Format:
Document (Text)
Race/Ethnicity:
Multiple Races/Ethnicities
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Are new types of vaccines, such as mRNA vaccines for COVID-19, less safe?
Social Media: Graphic Highlights the Safety of mRNA Vaccines (English, Spanish)
Format:
Graphic / Image
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Factsheet: How mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Work (English, Spanish)
Format:
Graphic / Image
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Social Media: Video Highlights the Lifesaving Science Behind mRNA Vaccines (English, Spanish) (0:21)
Format:
Video
Race/Ethnicity:
Multiple Races/Ethnicities
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Do vaccines cause autism in children?
Video: The Truth About Vaccines and Autism (English, Spanish, Dari) (2:57)
Format:
Video
Language(s):
Dari,
English,
Spanish
Social Media: Video Indicates No Link Between Vaccines and Autism (English, Spanish) (1:01)
Format:
Video
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Social Media: Graphics Detail Evidence That Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism (English, Spanish)
Format:
Graphic / Image
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Factsheet: How We Know There's No Link Between Vaccines and Autism (English, Spanish)
Format:
Document (Text)
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Toolkit: MMR Vaccine and Autism
Format:
Video,
Document (Text),
Website
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Talking Points and FAQs: How We Know There’s No Link Between Vaccines and Autism (English, Spanish)
Format:
Document (Text)
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Factsheet: Vaccines & Autism - What You Should Know (English, Spanish)
Format:
Document (Text)
Language(s):
English
Video: Do Vaccines Cause Autism? (2:05)
Format:
Video
Language(s):
English
Is it safe for children to get multiple vaccines at once?
Factsheet: Too Many Vaccines? What You Should Know (English, Spanish)
Format:
Document (Text)
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Factsheet: Information for Parents About Children Getting Multiple Vaccines at One Time
Format:
Website
Language(s):
English
Video: Is It Safe to Get Multiple Vaccines at Once? (1:20)
Format:
Video
Language(s):
English
Video: Is It Okay for Teenagers to Get Several Vaccines at Once? (1:10)
Format:
Video
Language(s):
English
Factsheet: Multiple Vaccines at Once
Format:
Website
Language(s):
English
What are the benefits of vaccinating my child?
Talking Points and FAQs: Routine Vaccines Keep Kids Safe (English, Spanish)
Format:
Document (Text)
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Video: Why Vaccines Are Safer Than Natural Immunity (English, Spanish, Dari) (0:45)
Format:
Video
Language(s):
Dari,
English,
Spanish
Social Media: Graphics Communicate the Importance of Pediatric Vaccines
Format:
Graphic / Image
Race/Ethnicity:
Multiple Races/Ethnicities
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Social Media: Graphic Compares Seat Belts and Bike Helmets to Children's Vaccines (English, Spanish)
Format:
Graphic / Image
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Video: Routine Vaccination Schedule - Why All The Doses Are Important (1:30)
Format:
Video
Race/Ethnicity:
Hispanic, Latinx, Latino, Latina
Language(s):
English
Video: The Importance of Childhood Vaccinations (2:02)
Format:
Video
Language(s):
English
Additional vaccine safety resources
Report: Plain Talk About Immunizations (English, Spanish)
Format:
Document (Text)
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Factsheet: Vaccine Safety - What You Should Know (English, Spanish)
Format:
Document (Text)
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Report: Vaccine Safety and Your Family - Separating Fact From Fiction (English, Spanish)
Format:
Document (Text)
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Talking Points and FAQs: Answers to 12 Questions on Childhood Vaccinations
Format:
Document (Text)
Language(s):
English
Factsheet: Frequently Asked Questions From Parents on Vaccines
Format:
Website
Language(s):
English
Tool: Interactive Guide to Routine Vaccinations (English, Spanish)
Format:
Video,
Website
Race/Ethnicity:
Multiple Races/Ethnicities
Language(s):
English,
Spanish
Factsheet: Vaccine Safety - Examine the Evidence
Format:
Website
Language(s):
English
Toolkit: Ultra Germ Fighters Activity Book (English, 22 Languages)
Format:
Document (Text)
Race/Ethnicity:
Multiple Races/Ethnicities
Language(s):
English,
Amharic,
Arabic,
Simplified Chinese,
Traditional Chinese,
Dari,
French,
Khmer,
Korean,
Marshallese,
Mixteco,
Oromo,
Pashto,
Russian,
Samoan,
Somali,
Spanish,
Swahili,
Tagalog,
Tigrinya,
Tongan,
Ukrainian,
Vietnamese
Tips for having conversations about vaccine safety
The following section provides tips for talking with people who are hesitant about vaccines. Even when presented with factual information about vaccine safety, people may not trust that information.
Some populations have both lived experiences and historical experiences that predispose them to distrust government and institutional involvement in their health. It is important to acknowledge that when talking about vaccine safety. Engaging trusted messengers can help you effectively engage audiences who may have lower trust in the medical system.
How can my organization engage and equip trusted messengers?
Trusted messengers are individuals or organizations who are highly trusted by their communities to act a as credible source of vaccine safety information. These could include community health workers/promotores, health providers (especially those who are multilingual), faith leaders, and local figures or celebrities. Engaging trusted messengers to communicate vaccine safety information can help those messages resonate.
Toolkit: Building Confidence as a Trusted Messenger of Health Information
Format:
Document (Text)
Language(s):
English
Toolkit: Increasing Vaccinations through Trusted Messengers
Format:
Document (Text)
Race/Ethnicity:
Hispanic, Latinx, Latino, Latina
Language(s):
English
Webinar: Faith-Based Outreach for COVID-19 and Beyond
Format:
Document (Text),
Website
Race/Ethnicity:
Multiple Races/Ethnicities
Language(s):
English
How have other organizations addressed community members' concerns about vaccine safety?
This section provides examples of how other organizations have addressed concerns about vaccine safety or addressed hesitancy more broadly in real life outreach. Below, we provide additional resources that may be useful in planning such outreach:
Podcast: Critical Value Episode: How to Build Vaccine Confidence Across Communities (24:12)
Format:
Audio
Race/Ethnicity:
Black/African American,
Hispanic, Latinx, Latino, Latina
Language(s):
English
Webinar: How to Mount a Successful Flu Campaign - Lessons From the Big Easy
Format:
Video
Language(s):
English
Report: Flu and COVID-19 Immunization Outreach Action Summary
Format:
Document (Text)
Language(s):
English
Webinar: Collaborating with Faith Leaders to Build Vaccine Confidence (English, Spanish)
Format:
Video,
Document (Text)
Race/Ethnicity:
Multiple Races/Ethnicities
Language(s):
English,
Spanish