Postvaccinal complications and management of suspected cases

In all developed countries there is the possibility to protect oneself from vaccine-preventable diseases. However, not all individuals make use of this option. It is precisely in highly developed countries where a trend to vaccination hesitancy is noticeable, i. e. reluctance to get oneself or one's children vaccinated. The reasons why this is so are many, but the most important reason is the fear of postvaccinal complications, especially of those that imply sequelae or those with fatal outcomes.Whereas there are some proven associations between vaccination and adverse drug reaction, for example febrile seizures after the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination, other hypotheses can be refuted, for example autism after the MMR vaccination. On one hand, this article gives an overview of known postvaccinal complications with indication of a causal association with vaccination and on the other hand addresses hypotheses of potential adverse drug reactions that have been refuted by pharmacoepidemiological studies.Only the scientific debate of these hypotheses, which are repeatedly discussed, especially on social media, can contribute to corroborating or refuting a potential causal association. If evidence for a causal association grows, e. g. intussusception, the relevant authorities (e.g. Paul Ehrlich Institute, European Medicines Agency) will take risk-minimizing measures. If studies and meta-analyses do not reveal any evidence of a causal association, a targeted information strategy will be required in order to prevent myths from circulating, vaccination coverages from declining, and infectious diseases from spreading.