Health
New interactive tool visualizes vaccine risks alongside disease outcomes and everyday hazards
Developed by public health researchers, the free online resource aims to clarify statistical communication by comparing health risks against everyday events using standardized population data.
The short version
- Public health experts launched "What's the Risk?", a free web tool to help users compare vaccine risks with disease outcomes and common hazards.
- Designed by the University of Minnesota's CIDRAP and Unbiased Science, the tool displays population averages per 100,000 people using color-coded visuals derived from public surveillance data.
- Future updates plan to incorporate additional vaccines, everyday hazards, and local vaccine coverage tracking.
Key facts
- The free interactive tool "What's the Risk?" was launched in early August by the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy alongside Unbiased Science.[CNET]
- The initial version allows users to compare risks involving measles, the MMR vaccine, RSV, RSV vaccines, and antibody products against everyday risks like car crashes, drowning, and lightning strikes.[CNET]
- Data in the tool is pulled directly from primary citable sources, including national surveillance systems and published research studies.[CNET]
- Visual comparisons are represented in standardized side-by-side grids representing 100,000 people, using color-coded squares to indicate severity and frequency.[CNET]
What remains uncertain
- Individual risk varies based on personal age, health status, location, and community vaccination rates, which population-wide averages cannot precisely predict.[CNET]