AusVaxSafety adds Gardasil9 to active surveillance

From January 2018, people aged around 12 to 14 years are being offered the new HPV vaccine (Gardasil®9) in a 2-dose schedule through school-based programs under the National Immunisation Program (NIP). AusVaxSafety, Australia’s real-time active vaccine safety surveillance system, will monitor Gardasil®9 safety to accompany this change to the NIP. AusVaxSafety is led by NCIRS and predominantly uses the SmartVax survey tool to gather feedback from recently vaccinated Australians. AusVaxSafety data are provided to state and territory health departments, and the Australian Government Department of Health to inform vaccine safety in Australia.

Active surveillance of the new HPV vaccine will provide valuable safety data desired by consumers, parents and the general public. Inclusion of school-based vaccination under AusVaxSafety further demonstrates the flexibility of the system to adapt to new vaccine safety surveillance needs in Australia. AusVaxSafety currently actively monitors pertussis vaccine in children, zoster vaccine in older adults and all-age influenza vaccines. Vaccine safety results available on the AusVaxSafety website.