Vaxtracker: Active on-line surveillance for adverse events following inactivated influenza vaccine in children

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Vaccinology
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Post-marketing surveillance is crucial for monitoring vaccine safety.
• Early detection of adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) is essential for public health.
• Traditional surveillance methods can be slow and resource-intensive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of Vaxtracker, a novel web-based survey system.
• To assess Vaxtracker's ability for active surveillance of AEFI in children.
• To determine the feasibility of using automated communication for vaccine safety monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Vaxtracker system development and piloting from 2011-2013.
• Automated email and SMS contact with parents/carers of immunised children.
• Web-based survey collection of adverse event data following inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV).

Main Results:

• Response rates of 57% in 2012 and 61% in 2013 were achieved.
• The system successfully collected data on adverse events following immunisation.
• Safety signals were reviewed and adverse event frequencies compared across influenza vaccines.

Conclusions:

• Vaxtracker is an effective tool for active post-marketing surveillance of vaccine safety.
• Automated data collection via Vaxtracker enhances the efficiency of AEFI monitoring.
• The system shows promise for early signal detection of serious adverse events in children.