Ensuring vaccine safety in immunization programmes - a WHO perspective

Ever since vaccines were firstly used against smallpox, adverse events foll owing immunization have been reported. As immunization programmes expand to reach even the most remote communities in the poorest countries, it is lik ely that many more events will be temporally linked with vaccine administra tion. Furthermore, the profound shift in the general public and media inter est in adverse events may lead to undue concerns and allegations which may ultimately jeopardize immunization programmes world-wide. While the health professional has understood this issue for some time, the public and the me dia have now also become all too aware of the significance of vaccine-relat ed adverse events. The familiar vaccines, well-tested over decades, have no t changed - but the perception regarding their safety has shifted. Claims o utrageous or reasonable are being made against both the old and the newly-i ntroduced vaccines. At the same time, the immunological and genetic revolut ion of the last decade may well bring to our notice some hypothetical risks that need to be addressed at pre-clinical level. WHO has been at the leadi ng edge to guarantee vaccine safety for the last 30 years and will continue to do so. The Organization's plans for the next decade and beyond include the Safe Injection Global Network (SIGN), the development and introduction of safer technologies, and the prevention, early detection and management o f AEFIs. The new technologies include needle-containing injection devices s uch as the autodisable syringe, as well as mucosal and transcutaneous immun ization. Training will continue to be at the centre of WHO's efforts, limit ing human error to a minimum. Mechanisms have been set in place to detect a nd respond to new and unforeseen events occurring. Above all, there is a wi llingness to respond to new climates and new technologies so that the Organ ization is in the best position to ensure safe immunization for all the wor ld's children. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.