Results of the 2011 FAST Study
Understanding Percentages
Please remember that when looking at the results, it is important
to look at how many surveys have been completed when interpreting
percentages. For example, if one child had experienced a
fever to one vaccine brand (Product A) yet only 4 surveys had been
completed, then this would mean 1 in 4 or 25% of all children
surveyed had experienced a fever. On the other hand, if one
child had experienced a fever to a different vaccine brand (Product
B), yet 20 surveys had been completed, the rate of fever would be 1
in 20 or 5%. It would be very tempting to say that the
difference between these 2 percentages is 20% (25% minus 5%) and
that Product A has a 20% greater rate of fever. However,
because of the way that percentages work, we can only draw this
sort of conclusion if we have the same number of people surveyed in
each group.
Understanding side effects
Like any other medication, vaccines can have side effects.
Side effects after vaccination are usually mild and short-lasting
and do not need special treatment. This should be borne in
mind when looking at these results. We have also included the
results of a similar survey we carried out in 2010 to allow
comparison with the 2011 FAST study.
Here are the results of the 2011 FAST Study:
FAST Study Princess Margaret Hospital
FAST Study Rheola Street Immunisation Clinic
