Global vaccine safety initiative: 2017 meeting report

Overview

The sixth meeting of the Global Vaccine Safety Initiative (GVSI) was held in Kuala Lumpur from 11 to 12 October 2017. It was hosted by the Ministry of Health of Malaysia in cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Pharmaceutical Product Working Group.

It provided an important platform for exchange, interaction and information between Member States and partners, as well as opportunities for partnership-building and planning.

Guided by four specific objectives, participants reported on initiatives relevant to the Global Vaccine Safety Blueprint objectives, shared experiences to strengthen vaccine pharmacovigilance, and identified needs and opportunities for further development.

Attendees included: immunization program managers, national regulatory authorities’ pharmacovigilance staff from 24 countries, representatives of UN agencies, academic institutions, umbrella organizations of pharmaceutical companies, technical partners, industry representatives and funding agencies.

This report provides an overview of the key points discussed during the event and summarizes its conclusions.