Page 6 - PCIRN-annual-report-2014-flipbook

NATIONAL AMBULATORY NETWORK (NAN) The National Ambulatory Network started its online safety surveillance in 2009 and now includes participants recruited from 5 provinces. While generally considered safe, infuenza vaccines are continuously modifed to adjust to the virus’ antigenic shifts or drifts, and because of this, the vaccine’s safety profle may vary. Each year the network conducts studies to detect safety signals and to rapidly assess of adverse events following immunization (AEFI). NAN quickly gathers and analyzes safety data on group), for a response rate of 50%, for the highest thousands of vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals response rate ever in our control group. before the core weeks of the annual infuenza immunization campaign. This year as in previous The online survey enabled the network to obtain fu seasons, the network was able to provide safety data quickly and at a relatively low cost. However, information to the Public Health Agency of Canada the biggest challenge was the online response and provincial and territorial public health offcials by rate. Approximately 60% of enrolled participants early November. completed the survey after receiving the fu vaccine in 2013. The surveillance is designed to estimate the frequency of adverse events in vaccines of suffcient With the ability to detect adverse events occurring severity to cause medical consultation or prevent at a rate of less than 1 in 1,000, NAN did not fnd daily activities. NAN also studies whether severe any safety signals associated with the 2013-2014 health event rates in vaccinees are higher than severe infuenza vaccines in adults or children. In 2014, the background rates in unvaccinated participants. network plans to: The network reached record recruitment numbers • Expand recruitment to pharmacies. in the fall of 2013. Over 23,000 adults and children • Increase the number of parents of children were enrolled. Furthermore, almost 7,000 participants participating in the survey. provided background event information (the control • Validate the survey questions. PHAC/CIHR INFLUENZA RESEARCH NETWORK