Understanding Correlation and Causation: The Hidden Truths About Vaccines and Side Effects

Medical researcher analyzing vaccine side effect data

It is not uncommon that people decide against a doctor-recommended prescription medication because they read the list of potential side effects. These are symptoms collected and reported by patients in a clinical trial conducted to get through the FDA approval process. How do we know that the medication being tested is what caused the side effects listed? Most commonly it is due to the strength of the correlation: if no study participants reported nausea prior to taking the medication, and then 20% of them reported nausea upon starting to take the medication, we all understand it is reasonable to conclude that the medication probably caused the nausea. Most people want to know what side effects have been correlated with intake of a prescribed medication.

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