NATIONAL VACCINE INFORMATION CENTER
Your health. Your family. Your choice.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Since 1982, NVIC has advocated that well-designed, independent, on-going scientific studies must be conducted to: (1) define the various biological mechanisms involved in vaccine injury and death: (2) identify genetic and other biological high risk factors for suffering chronic brain and immune system dysfunction after vaccination; and (3) evaluate short and long-term health outcomes of individuals, who use many vaccines, and those, who use fewer or no vaccines, to determine the health effects of vaccination on individuals and the public health. Additionally, we advocate for informed consent protections in all US public health laws and policies relating to vaccination.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Educational Activities
NVIC’s public education program is multi-faceted and includes the operation of three websites (nvic.org, nvicadvocacy.org and thevaccinereaction.org) that provide well-referenced information on vaccine history, science, policy, law and ethics. Efforts are accomplished through a digital newsletter and weekly journal newspaper, guides, brochures, posters, in-depth special reports, and other print publications; production of videos for posting on NVIC websites and social media platforms; and online and print vaccine education advertising campaigns. NVIC also provides timely information to the public through participation in vaccine-related media reports and the sponsoring of and participation in workshops and conferences on vaccination. NVIC also provides the public with a free online grassroots advocacy communications network to inform and defend informed consent in state and federal vaccine laws and policies.
Support Activities
Since 1982, NVIC has operated and maintained a vaccine reaction registry and counseling service for families reporting vaccine reactions, injuries, and deaths. NVIC counselors follow up on vaccine reaction reports and provide informational and networking support for families. On www.NVIC.org, NVIC maintains a publicly searchable online vaccine reaction reporting mechanism for families to post descriptions of vaccine reactions with photos, as well as offers an online forum for families to post descriptions of difficult experiences when exercising informed consent to vaccination. NVIC's counseling services also provides the public with information and resource referrals information on how to report a reaction and/or file for compensation through the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.
Advocacy and Networking Activities
NVIC's free online Advocacy Portal is provided as a public service to help citizens protect their parental and informed consent rights in state public health laws. This program provides the public with vaccine-related legislation and policy analysis, bill and policy positions, talking points, and contact information for elected officials at both a state and federal level. These efforts serve to educate and empower grassroots efforts to implement vaccine laws and policies that uphold the informed consent ethic and allow individuals, parents and guardians to make educated and voluntary vaccination decisions without coercion and penalties.
Research Activities
Since its founding in 1982, NVIC has advocated for scientific research, both bench science and clinical studies, to identify the biological mechanisms and biological high risk factors for vaccine reactions leading to chronic brain and immune dysfunction or death. For three decades, NVIC has been a leader in calling for well-designed studies that investigate long-term health outcomes of highly vaccinated children and adults, as well as those who use fewer vaccines or are unvaccinated, to determine if there are differences in brain and immune function and whether there are genetic, biological or environmental co-factors that affect long term health outcomes. NVIC's vaccination and health research program was launched in 2009 to identify research opportunities to advance NVIC's research objectives.
Where we work
External reviews

Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
NVIC works to protect the freedom of citizens to exercise the human right to voluntary, informed consent to vaccination.
NVIC is calling for government funding of independent researchers without conflicts of interest with vaccine manufacturers or public health agencies to investigate the reported links between vaccines and neurological and autoimmune disorders, including learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, ADD/ADHD, seizure disorders, autism, asthma, diabetes, otitis media, multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease (intestinal bowel disorders), chronic fatigue syndrome, Alzheimer's, cancer, AIDS, Gulf War syndrome (GWS), personality disorders and other autoimmune and brain dysfunction, which has been associated with vaccination.
NVIC is also calling for a large, prospective study to compare the long term health outcomes of highly vaccinated children and unvaccinated children.
NVIC also supports the institution of an independent public oversight mechanism in the federal government to monitor vaccine research, development, regulation, policy-making and promotion by federal and state public health agencies, as well as to conduct and oversee independent, non-governmental monitoring of adverse health events associated with vaccination.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
NVIC is increasing its citizen donor base and seeking philanthropic foundation support to launch a national advertising and public education campaign about vaccination and the need to protect the legal right to make informed, voluntary vaccine decisions.
In 2010 NVIC launched it's Advocacy Portal which has analyzed and monitored thousands of pieces of proposed legislation in the U.S. that would expand or make exercising the human right to informed consent to vaccination. This portal has assisted many citizens in developing relationships with their legislators to protect the basic human right to accept, delay or decline any vaccine voluntarily without sanction. Our goal is to inform and empower all Americans with vaccine information that will prevent vaccine injuries and deaths and protect vaccine choices.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) launched the vaccine safety and informed consent movement in America in the early 1980's and is the oldest and largest consumer led organization advocating for the institution of vaccine safety and informed consent protections in the public health system. NVIC works to raise government standards for vaccine licensure and policymaking and monitors and reports on these activities.
The National Vaccine Information Center represents citizens from every state that support the principle of informed consent to medical treatment, which has become a central ethical principle in the practice of modern medicine and is applied to medical interventions which involve the risk of injury or death. Our expertise acquired over the past 37 years puts NVIC in the position of being able to continue our efforts at both a state and federal level to protect the human right to exercise informed consent to vaccination. We continue to serve in federal activities related to vaccine policy-making, review and analyze research and educate the public on advocacy needed and how best to protect their rights.
Our readership continues to expand, particularly with the more recent launch of our third website, The Vaccine Reaction, which is a weekly journal of vaccine news and commentary that further supports the public's knowledge and understanding of issues relating to informed consent to vaccination.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
NVIC's co-founders worked with Congress to pass the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986. This historic law acknowledged that vaccine injuries and deaths are real and that the vaccine injured and their families should be financially supported and that vaccine safety protections were needed in the mass vaccination system.
In 1996, NVIC realized a major goal when, after 14 years of public advocacy, the FDA finally licensed a purified pertussis vaccine (DTaP vaccine) for American babies. In 1999, the live virus polio vaccine (OPV) was replaced by the inactivated polio vaccine and vaccine strain paralytic polio cases were eliminated in America.
Co-founders and members of NVIC have represented consumers on the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines, the National Vaccine Advisory Committee, the Institute of Medicine's Vaccine Safety Forum, the FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, the Vaccine Policy Analysis Collaborative, and the Consumers United for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Cochrane Collaboration – U.S.
Since the launch of NVIC's Advocacy Portal, tens of thousands of individuals have become active in defending and protecting their informed consent rights through advocating with their legislators on the need for medical, religious and conscientious belief vaccine exemptions. Our focus currently is to advocate for the protection and expansion of state vaccine exemptions, as laws that create vaccine mandates and exemptions are created at a state level. From a policy perspective, we provide public comment and participate in federal activities where applicable.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
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NATIONAL VACCINE INFORMATION CENTER
Board of directorsas of 10/03/2022
Barbara Arthur
National Vaccine Information Center
Term: 1986 - 2020
CLAIRE DWOSKIN
No Affiliation
VICKY DEBOLD
No Affiliation
PAUL MULHAUSER
No Affiliation
KATHRYN WILLIAMS
National Vaccine Information Center
BARBARA ARTHUR
National Vaccine Information Center
GREGG BURGESS
No Affiliation
CLIFF SHOEMAKER
No Affiliation
Stephanie Christner
No Affiliation
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No