Monitoring of Adverse Events Following Immunisation improved in TN over last 10 years
A study titled Surveillance of Adverse Events Following Immunization following routine Immunisation in Tamil Nadu was published in the Tamil Nadu Journal of Public Health and Medical Research
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CHENNAI: While Immunisation for various illnesses is being emphasized by the state health department, the monitoring of Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) has also been intensified over the last 10 years.
A study titled Surveillance of Adverse Events Following Immunization following routine Immunisation in Tamil Nadu was published in the Tamil Nadu Journal of Public Health and Medical Research.
While minor AEFI reported in the state were 2,671 in 2011-12, it has increased to 46,369 in 2023-24. The approximate vaccine doses administered was 95.56 lakhs in 2011-12 and increased to 146.42 lakhs in 2023-24.
The study states that when novel vaccinations or vaccine combination products are introduced, monitoring AEFI is particularly crucial. AEFIs must be properly identified, reported, and handled. While AEFIs are moderate, they resolve on their own without requiring long-term care, and extremely uncommon cases might result in substantial adverse reactions. Every time a vaccine is administered, the risk of AEFI is balanced against the danger of not immunizing a kid.
A vaccine may naturally result in fever, erythema, localized discomfort, etc. during the immunity building process. In addition, there is a remote chance that the vaccine's ingredients will cause a foreign body reaction, which may raise some concerns to the parents and caregivers.
The number of reported serious and severe AEFI cases increased from 92 in 2015 to 457 AEFIs in 2023. However, there was a slight reduction in reporting of AEFI in 2020, and 2021, mainly due to COVID-19 pandemic.
About 89.3 percent of the total serious and severe AEFI cases reported since 2015 were discussed, 47.8 percent of the cases were found to be vaccine product related reactions, while 39.3 percent were coincidental events and there were no cases due to vaccine quality defect related reactions.
The authors of the study including Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine Dr T S Selvavinayagam, stated that trainings, increasing awareness among field level staff, and monitoring should be done consistently to further improve AEFI surveillance in the State.
"Embracing future research opportunities in AEFI including descriptive analysis, and qualitative study among field workers can indeed help stakeholders enhance the effectiveness and transparency of AEFI surveillance systems. This in turn contribute significantly to maintain public confidence in vaccination programs and ensuring vaccine safety for all populations," the study stated.
