REPORTING VACCINE-ASSOCIATED PARALYTIC POLIOMYELITIS - CONCORDANCE BETWEEN THE CDC AND THE NATIONAL-VACCINE-INJURY-COMPENSATION-PROGRAM

This paper compares cases of paralytic poliomyelitis reported to the s ystems operated by the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program an d the Centers fur Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for reporting o f adverse events associated with vaccination. Of the 118 cases of vacc ine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis determined by either system, 18 were reported initially only to the compensation program, 50 only to the CDC, and 50 to both. The annual incidence of vaccine-associated pa ralytic poliomyelitis determined from data from both systems varied fr om 6 to 13 cases (mean = 9.1) a year, with an increase of 1.4 cases a year when initial reports only to the compensation program are include d. Thus, the compensation program provides important supplemental inci dence data.