KEYWORD1:
Immunization registries, Vaccine adverse event reporting, VAERS, VAE ‘Alert’, Denominator data.

BACKGROUND:
The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) is the nation’s post-marketing vaccine safety surveillance system. In the United States (US), both public and private immunization registries are functioning to enhance the nation’s immunization program. However, their potential to play a role in enhancing vaccine safety has yet to be explored. Kaiser Permanente’s Immunization Tracking System (KITS) currently serves about 2 million enrollees aged < 12 years and about 1 million aged > 65 years in California. CDC and KITS are implementing electronic VAERS reporting, generation of Vaccine Adverse Event (VAE) ‘Alerts’ and denominator data for calculating rates.

OBJECTIVE:
To describe KITS and implementation of electronic VAERS reporting, and generation of VAE ‘Alerts’ and denominator data.

METHOD:
KITS is being modified to enable it to:
a. Collect VAERS data
b. Pre-populate VAERS from using existing data
c. Report to VAERS, using Health Level 7 electronic messaging
d. Generate VAE ‘Alerts’ for its users, and
e. Generate vaccine/vaccine combination specific denominator data for calculating and monitoring VAE rates and trends respectively.

RESULT:
The new system is scheduled to start operating in 2002. System users will be educated of these new capabilities. A user survey will be conducted to evaluate acceptability/value of these. Denominator data will be used for calculating and monitoring trends for VAE rates.

CONCLUSION:
VAERS is committed to integrating vaccine safety in immunization registries. It is expected that these capabilities will increase the accuracy, timeliness, acceptability, and sensitivity of the surveillance system. Wide implementation of such capabilities in immunization registries will potentially enrich vaccine safety initiatives for immunization programs in the US and internationally.
LEARNINGOBJECTIVES:
The audience will understand the need for enhancing VAERS reporting, VAE ‘Alert’and denominator data, and get information that would help them to develop such capabilities.