SURVEILLANCE OF VACCINE-RELATED ADVERSE EVENTS IN THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE - A MANITOBA COHORT STUDY

This study used data from the population database through which the pr ovince of Manitoba, Canada, administers its universal health insurance plan. Enrollment, hospitalization, and immunization files from childr en born in the 1987-1989 period were linked using the unique identific ation number assigned to each population member, Analysis of these lin ked data successfully identified serious potential adverse events in t he first year of life and the timing of events around immunization. No t only is population-based active surveillance for immunization relate d events feasible, but the techniques described, applied to years of d ata accumulated through surveillance, offer powerful research tools. B aseline population incidences of adverse events were calculated, tempo ral relationships between events and immunization assessed, and incide nces for events showing true temporal associations determined, Eventua l goats are the quantification of vaccine related risk and the gatheri ng of evidence concerning causal associations, The approach could be u sed readily by several other Canadian provinces and by health maintena nce organizations in the United States.