BACKGROUND:
In March 2002, the National Immunization Program (NIP) developed the capability for submitting VAERS reports via the internet. Web-based reporting to VAERS improves the accessibility and can increase timely detection of new or rare adverse events.

OBJECTIVE:
To monitor reporting patterns of use, timeliness and report completeness.

METHOD:
We selected all web base and non-web base reports received from 3/25/02-12/31/03. We defined report-interval as the period from onset-date to receive date. Non-fatal serious adverse event were defined as if the report included information regarding whether the patient experienced life-threatening illness, required hospitalization, prolonged hospital stay or permanent disability. The proportions of reports were compared with respect to: severity level, onset-interval, age-group, gender, report interval, timeliness and completeness of reports and the most frequently reported adverse events.

RESULT:
: A total of 3,317 web-base reports and 25,055 non-web reports were received. Over eleven percent of all VAERS reports were web-based. We observed higher proportions of reports in the web base group with respect to: age-group 18-64, 62% vs. 29.5%; non-fatal serious reports 13% vs. 9%; report interval, 0-9 days, 53% vs.20%; reports by parents or patients 18% vs.7%; Most frequently reported vaccine was small pox (27%) followed by influenza (14%) and anthrax (7.6%). Most frequently reported adverse event was fever (22%) followed by vasodilatation and rash (18%). Fifty-one percent of smallpox reports were web based; 54% civilian and 46% military reports. Overall, we observed higher percent of completeness in the web-base reports.

CONCLUSION:
: Results demonstrate that web-base reporting improves the timeliness and completeness of the reports which consequently will improve the overall quality of the data. Important next step is to disseminate the web-base availability to health-care, parents and patients

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
To describe the advantages of web base reporting and understand how to report to VAERS electronically.