New Interactive Tool Launched to Visualize Vaccine Risks Alongside Disease Risks
A new interactive tool called 'What’s the Risk?' has been launched to help the public understand vaccine risks by visualizing them alongside the risks of the diseases they prevent. Developed by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy and Unbiased Science, the tool aims to address public confusion stemming from mixed messages about vaccines. Users can compare the risks of vaccines like MMR and RSV with the risks of measles and RSV, respectively. Additionally, the tool allows comparisons with everyday life events such as drowning, car crashes, falls, bee stings, and lightning strikes. The visualization uses colored squares, with size indicating the number of people affected and color representing severity (red for serious, dark gray for mild/temporary). All data is sourced from public, citable national surveillance systems and published studies, with direct links provided for transparency. 
