GACVS - Working mechanisms
Conclusions, recommendations and other communications
The conclusions and recommendations of GACVS meetings are published in English and French in the WHO Weekly Epidemiological Record, and posted on the GACVS web site within two months of each GACVS meeting. The conclusions and recommendations are further translated into Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish and posted on the GACVS web site. Due to space and confidentiality constraints, more detailed confidential minutes of GACVS meetings are circulated to GACVS members and the WHO Secretariat.
To further facilitate communication and dissemination of GACVS conclusions, this web site was created in June 2003. Web postings include statements, questions and answers, and links to reference documents. Reference documents are limited to material reviewed by the Committee. Such material is posted subsequent to approval by a panel of four Committee members including the Chair. This panel acts on behalf of the Committee as a whole. Efforts are made to post all new information in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
The reports and associated material of the Committee form the basis for communication with countries and for the further communication efforts undertaken with partners. In 2002, the Committee defined criteria for good information practices for web sites containing information on vaccine safety. Following this, and in an effort to facilitate the access of public health authorities, health professionals and the public to reliable information on vaccine safety, WHO initiated, in 2003, the Vaccine Safety Net Project. This involves certifying sites providing information on vaccine safety which meet the credibility and content criteria for good information practices defined by the Committee and improving links between the sites forming part of the network.
A tracking sheet of all GACVS recommendations and how they are addressed is kept updated by the WHO Secretariat and shared regularly with the Committee.