Empathy should guide responses to reported vaccine injuries By Kizzmekia S. Corbett-HelaireJune 11, 2024

https://www.statnews.com/2024/06/11/vaccine-side-effects-injuries-patient-reports-deserve-empathy/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-89LDzU6qwFUufE7srUa3XfwFkvpf5k0yrBKzGl9HToXwohVgLodjVBenn4n0gycu_QQUN4CGJw8KGh1dyERl0zVlVThA&_hsmi=310992891&utm_content=310992891&utm_source=hs_email A scientist calls for empathy regarding vaccine injuries Kizzmekia S. Corbett-Helaire led NIH research that contributed to the technology in Covid-19 vaccines, so it makes sense that when she gives talks, people thank her for that important work. But there’s one audience member that she’ll never forget. Somebody approached her to say that a Covid-19 vaccine had harmed her, and to ask what Corbett-Helaire was doing to investigate vaccine injury. Corbett-Helaire gave a standard answer about the FDA and continuous monitoring. But in a new First Opinion essay, she asks herself: “Is that enough? Has my own science contributed to ignoring people who feel they have been harmed and not heard?” Corbett-Helaire argues that people who speak out about how they feel after getting a vaccine should not be dismissed or assumed to be anti-vaxxers. Read more on how Corbett-Helaire believes that everyone, from researchers to regulators, can create a better system for understanding vaccine-related injuries.