Knowledge and Perception of Vaccine Pharmacovigilance and Adverse Events Following Immunization Reporting Among...

In India, the knowledge and perception of vaccine pharmacovigilance and adverse events following immunization (AEFI) reporting among pharmacy students are not clear.

This study aimed to evaluate the current knowledge and perceptions of vaccine pharmacovigilance and AEFI reporting among pharmacy students.

An online cross-sectional survey was conducted for three months. Validated structured questionnaires were circulated through emails and social media (Facebook and WhatsApp) to pharmacy students in India.

A total of 205 responses (response rate = 53.5%) were received, out of which 196 consented to participate, and the remaining nine refused to participate in the study. The average knowledge score was found to be 7.54±1.78. In our survey, 82.7% of participants did not report AEFI. Moreover, 50% of participants reported that vaccine pharmacovigilance is not yet covered in the syllabus, and 66.3% said they were not trained during their studies for AEFI reporting. Timely reporting of AEFI can help to identify safety issues with vaccines, which can lead to improvements in vaccine safety. It was found that 96.9% of participants had a perception that pharmacists should be involved in reporting AEFI, and 95.4% of participants were willing to undergo training on vaccine pharmacovigilance.

This study revealed that the majority lacked sufficient understanding and reporting skills due to curricular gaps and limited practical exposure.

The AEFI reporting system, primarily managed by pharmacists in India, highlights the need to include vaccine pharmacovigilance and AEFI reporting in the pharmacy curriculum. Continuous training programs are also essential to enhance knowledge and improve AEFI reporting practices.