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Review
. 2014 Sep 22;32(42):5390-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2014.07.073. Epub 2014 Aug 6.

The Vaccine Safety Datalink: successes and challenges monitoring vaccine safety

Michael M McNeil  1 , Julianne Gee  2 , Eric S Weintraub  2 , Edward A Belongia  3 , Grace M Lee  4 , Jason M Glanz  5 , James D Nordin  6 , Nicola P Klein  7 , Roger Baxter  7 , Allison L Naleway  8 , Lisa A Jackson  9 , Saad B Omer  10 , Steven J Jacobsen  11 , Frank DeStefano  2
Affiliations
Review

The Vaccine Safety Datalink: successes and challenges monitoring vaccine safety

Michael M McNeil et al. Vaccine. .

Abstract

The Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) is a collaborative project between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and 9 health care organizations. Established in 1990, VSD is a vital resource informing policy makers and the public about the safety of vaccines used in the United States. Large linked databases are used to identify and evaluate adverse events in over 9 million individuals annually. VSD generates rapid, important safety assessments for both routine vaccinations and emergency vaccination campaigns. VSD monitors safety of seasonal influenza vaccines in near-real time, and provided essential information on the safety of influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccine during the recent pandemic. VSD investigators have published important studies demonstrating that childhood vaccines are not associated with autism or other developmental disabilities. VSD prioritizes evaluation of new vaccines; searches for possible unusual health events after vaccination; monitors vaccine safety in pregnant women; and has pioneered development of biostatistical research methods.

Keywords: Immunization; Surveillance; Vaccine safety.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None of the authors has conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Vaccine Safety Datalink Sites 2014. For 2014, Southern California Kaiser Permanente, Northern California Kaiser Permanente, Northwest Kaiser Permanente, Group Health Cooperative, Kaiser Permanente Colorado, and Marshfield Clinic provide data and subject matter expertise; Health Partners, Kaiser Permanente Georgia and Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute provide subject matter expertise. aHarvard Vanguard Medical Associates with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Rapid CycleAnalysis (RCA) inthe Vaccine Safety Datalink [10].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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