Vaccine Safety Datalink
Encyclopedia
The Vaccine Safety Datalink Project (VSD) was established in 1990 by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to study the adverse side effects
of vaccines.
Four large health maintenance organization
s, including Kaiser Permanente
, were initially recruited to provide the CDC with medical data on vaccination
histories, health outcomes, and subject characteristics. The VSD database contains data compiled from surveillance
on more than seven million Americans
, including about 500,000 children from birth through age six years (2% of the U.S. population in this age group).
The VSD data-sharing program is now being administered by the National Center for Health Statistics
Research Data Center. The data sharing guidelines have been revised to include comments from interested groups as well as recommendations from the Institute of Medicine
(IOM).
Data from the Vaccine Safety Datalink Project have been utilized to address a number of vaccine safety concerns; examples include a study clarifying the risk of anaphylaxis
after vaccine administration and several studies examining the rejected hypothesis of a link between vaccines and autism
.
Adverse effect (medicine)
In medicine, an adverse effect is a harmful and undesired effect resulting from a medication or other intervention such as surgery.An adverse effect may be termed a "side effect", when judged to be secondary to a main or therapeutic effect. If it results from an unsuitable or incorrect dosage or...
of vaccines.
Four large health maintenance organization
Health maintenance organization
A health maintenance organization is an organization that provides managed care for health insurance contracts in the United States as a liaison with health care providers...
s, including Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is an integrated managed care consortium, based in Oakland, California, United States, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney Garfield...
, were initially recruited to provide the CDC with medical data on vaccination
Vaccination
Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material to stimulate the immune system of an individual to develop adaptive immunity to a disease. Vaccines can prevent or ameliorate the effects of infection by many pathogens...
histories, health outcomes, and subject characteristics. The VSD database contains data compiled from surveillance
Surveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
on more than seven million Americans
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, including about 500,000 children from birth through age six years (2% of the U.S. population in this age group).
The VSD data-sharing program is now being administered by the National Center for Health Statistics
National Center for Health Statistics
National Center for Health Statistics is a division of the United States federal agency the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . As such, NCHS is under the United States Department of Health and Human Services...
Research Data Center. The data sharing guidelines have been revised to include comments from interested groups as well as recommendations from the Institute of Medicine
Institute of Medicine
The Institute of Medicine is a not-for-profit, non-governmental American organization founded in 1970, under the congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences...
(IOM).
Data from the Vaccine Safety Datalink Project have been utilized to address a number of vaccine safety concerns; examples include a study clarifying the risk of anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis is defined as "a serious allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and may cause death". It typically results in a number of symptoms including throat swelling, an itchy rash, and low blood pressure...
after vaccine administration and several studies examining the rejected hypothesis of a link between vaccines and autism
Thiomersal controversy
The thiomersal controversy describes claims that vaccines containing the mercury-based preservative thiomersal contribute to the development of autism and other brain development disorders...
.
External links
- CDC.gov - 'Vaccine Safety Data-Sharing Process', Centers for Disease Control
- NationalAcademies.org - 'Independent Oversight of Vaccine Safety Data Program Needed To Ensure Greater Transparency and Enhance Public Trust', National Academies (February 17, 2005)
- WHO.int (pdf) - 'The Vaccine Safety Datalink: immunization research in health maintenance organizations in the USA', R.T. Chen, F. DeStefano, R.L. Davis, L.A. Jackson, R.S. Thompson, J.P. Mullooly, S.B. Black, H.R. Shinefield, C.M. Vadheim, J.I. Ward, S.M. Marcy & the Vaccine Safety Datalink Team, World Health OrganizationWorld Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...