If you have questions about getting vaccinated, it is important to make sure you are relying on accurate information. Unfortunately, in today’s world, this is easier said than done. There are vast amounts of inaccurate information online—and this is especially true when it comes to information about vaccines.

So, what sources can (and should) you trust? Of course, if you have medical questions, it is best to consult with your doctor; and, if you have legal questions, you should consult with a vaccine injury attorney. But, if you are doing some research online, Immunize.org provides some tips for evaluating online health information.

How to Decide if You Can Trust Online Vaccine Information

How can you make informed decisions about whether to trust vaccine information you find online? Immunize.org recommends asking the following questions:

Who Manages the Information?

Some sources are more trustworthy than others, and some are not trustworthy at all. Generally speaking, some of the most trustworthy sources of vaccine information include government agencies (like the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)) and reputable healthcare organizations (like Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Mayo Clinic).

When it comes to information about vaccine-related injuries and the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is a good place to start. Law firms that handle vaccine injury claims (including ours) often provide a wealth of reliable information on their websites as well.

What is the Top Level Domain (TLD) at the End of the Website Address?

A top level domain (TLD) is signified by the end of a website address. Certain TLDs, like .gov and .edu, are only available to verified governmental and educational institutions. While websites with other TLDs can be reliable sources of information as well, if you visit a website that purports to be a government or academic website but that does not end with .gov or .edu, it may not be trustworthy.

Who is Paying for the Website?

If a website isn’t operated by the government or a reputable academic or healthcare institution, it will be important to try to find out who is paying for the website. Unfortunately, far too often, this is where politics come into play. These days, many vaccine-related websites are informed more by political views than they are by science. While individuals and organizations are entitled to express their opinions, there is a clear line between an opinion and a statement of fact (or purported statement of fact). If the organization behind a website advocates for a particular political stance on vaccines, the information on the website may be biased and unreliable.

What is the Original Source of the Information?

Along with looking into the organization behind a website with vaccine-related information, it is also important to try to discern the original source of the information provided. In many cases, websites (including ours) provide information that was originally published by other sources. If you have questions about the reliability of a particular website, you should look for its sources—and it may be worth reviewing these sources directly.

How is the Information Reviewed Before Publication?

Medical and scientific journals have (or are supposed to have) an in-depth peer review process that they use to examine the accuracy of articles prior to publication. If you find a peer-reviewed article (or an article that was supposedly peer-reviewed), it may be worth looking into the publication’s peer review process. In recent years, some journals have gotten into trouble for publishing false and misleading information due to ineffective peer review standards and procedures.

As Immunize.org also notes, “[m]ost health information publications have someone with medical or research credentials (e.g., someone who has earned an MD, DO, or PhD) review the information before it gets posted, to make sure it is correct,” and, “[t]his information should be noted on the website.” While this type of verification can be helpful, it is by no means a guarantee that the information on a website is unbiased and correct.

How Current is the Information?

As viruses, vaccines, and healthcare practices and techniques continue to evolve, information that was once accurate can quickly become outdated. This reality came into sharp focus during the COVID-19 pandemic, and there is currently a lot of outdated COVID-19 vaccine information online.

Information about other vaccines may be outdated as well. As a result, when researching vaccine information online, it is important to make sure the resources you are using are as up to date as possible. Government websites (including the CDC’s website) should generally be up to date, though sometimes agencies publish new resources without taking down old ones.

Is the Website Asking for Your Personal Information?

You should not have to provide your personal information to any website to learn what you need to know in order to make informed decisions about immunization or seeking financial compensation for a vaccine-related injury. If a website asks for your personal information, you should look elsewhere. Generally speaking, government websites will not ask for your personal information. So, if a website that appears to be a government website asks for your personal information, it is most likely a scam.

Again, if you have questions about your health or your legal rights, the best thing you can do is seek advice from a qualified professional. While there is no harm in doing some research (as long as you use reliable sources), there is no substitute for personalized advice from a doctor or vaccine injury attorney. Protecting your health and your legal rights is important, so you need to be confident that you are making informed decisions.

Contact a Vaccine Injury Attorney at the Law Offices of Leah V. Durant & Associates

Do you have questions about seeking financial compensation for a vaccine-related injury? If so, our attorneys can explain everything you need to know. To schedule a free consultation with an experienced vaccine injury attorney at the Law Offices of Leah V. Durant & Associates, please call 202-775-9200 or inquire online today.