Immunisiation safety - A priority of the World Health Organization's Department of Vaccines and Biologicals

In 1999, the World Health Organization (WHO) Department of Vaccines and Biologicals launched the Immunisation Safety Priority Project to boost its activities in this area, with the aim of establishing a comprehensive system to ensure the safety of all immunisations given in national immunisation programmes. Countries are the primary focus of this project. The WHO has a role to play not only because of its technical and normative role but also because of its privileged relationship with country authorities and other partners, its global vision and mandate, and because it is perceived as free from conflicts of interest. There are four areas of focus in the project: (i) quality control and assessment tools to ensure vaccine safety from clinical trials up to and including the point of use; (ii) research and development of safer and simpler delivery systems; (iii) access to safer and more efficient systems for vaccine delivery and sharps waste management; and (iv) mechanisms to respond promptly and effectively to vaccine safety concerns. The project emphasises the importance of advocating safety and developing necessary infrastructure and human resource to properly deal with immunisation related safety issues at a national level.