How does the IOM committee examine a hypothesis?
For each hypothesis to be examined, the committee assesses both the scientific evidence and the issues significance in a broader societal context. For this review, the scientific assessment has two parts: • An examination of evidence of any biological mechanisms relevant to the hypothesis (these are classified as weak, moderate, or strong). Evidence for biological mechanism is not, by itself, sufficient to prove causality. • An examination of the evidence regarding a possible causal relation between the vaccine and the adverse event. The significance assessment considers the nature of the health risks associated with the vaccine-preventable disease and with the adverse event in question and the level of public concern about the safety issue. The findings of the scientific and significance assessments provide the basis for the committees recommendations. The Immunization Safety Review Committee is composed of 15 members with expertise in pediatrics, neurology, immunology, internal medic
