Pandemic influenza vaccines
The committee discussed plans for the global monitoring of the safety of pandemic influenza vaccine. The committee emphasized the importance of developing a robust network of contact points to share information and pilot the system during seasonal influenza immunization. The network is intended to ensure that Member States have rapid and timely access to safety information concerning pandemic and seasonal influenza vaccines, to provide access to dedicated resources able to address urgent queries, and to initiate and coordinate relevant responses. A web-based platform to support the collection and dissemination of information to relevant stakeholders in Member States is being developed. The formation of this influenza vaccine safety network should be carefully planned and should consider the possible limitations imposed by the pandemic.
Recognizing that the availability of several global surveillance systems for communicable diseases, drugs or vaccines may be relevant to certain aspects of monitoring the safety of pandemic influenza vaccines, the global post-marketing surveillance network aims to coordinate resources and supplement areas not sufficiently addressed. Although the system is being developed for pandemic influenza vaccines, it would initially use seasonal influenza vaccine safety monitoring as a proxy. A subgroup of GACVS will be formed to pursue this goal in connection with the series of WHO regulatory preparedness workshops on human vaccines for pandemic influenza.