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Emily Jane Woo, MD, MPH, Robert Ball, MD, MPH, ScM, Ann Bostrom, PhD, Sean V. Shadomy, DVM, MPH, Leslie K. Ball, MD, MPH, Geoffrey Evans, MD and Miles Braun, MD, MPH

E. J. Woo, R. Ball, S. V. Shadomy, and M. Braun are from the Vaccine Safety Branch, Division of Epidemiology, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, Md. S. V. Shadomy currently works at the National Immunization Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga. A. Bostrom is from the School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta. At the time of the study, L. K. Ball was with the Office of Public Health and Science, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville. G. Evans is from the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Jane Woo, MD, MPH, HFM-222, Food and Drug Administration, 1401 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852 (e-mail: wooj{at}cber.fda.gov).

Objectives. We investigated vaccine risk perception among reporters of autism to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).

Methods. We conducted structured interviews with 124 parents who reported autism and related disorders to VAERS from 1990 to 2001 and compared results with those of a published survey of parents in the general population.

Results. Respondents perceived vaccine-preventable diseases as less serious than did other parents. Only 15% of respondents deemed immunization extremely important for children’s health; two thirds had withheld vaccines from their children.

Conclusions. Views of parents who believe vaccines injured their children differ significantly from those of the general population regarding the benefits of immunization. Understanding the factors that shape this perspective can improve communication among vaccine providers, policymakers, and parents/patients.

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