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Text messages track adverse events after flu vaccine in HCP
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By using text messages to follow up with health care personnel who received influenza vaccination, Australian researchers have found a simple, rapid means of monitoring the safety of influenza vaccine.
Research has shown that health care personnel (HCP) are concerned about potential adverse events associated with trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV3), according to Lauren E. Tracey, MPH, of the Communicable Disease Directorate, Western Australian Department of Health in Perth, and colleagues. In addition, HCP are more accepting of the vaccine if they know it is safe.
“Timely vaccine safety information for each new seasonal IIV3 vaccine can be used to reassure HCP,” the researchers wrote in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. “In addition, the ability to provide real-time safety profiling of new vaccines should form part of emergency preparedness planning — for example, in the case of rapid development and rollout of vaccines in a pandemic.”
In response to low vaccine coverage among Australian HCP, the Western Australian Department of Health established the Follow-up and Active Surveillance of Trivalent Influenza Vaccine in HCP (FASTHealth) program, a short message service-based active flu vaccine safety monitoring program. This program will activate at the beginning of the annual flu vaccination program.
According to the researchers, HCP who agreed to participate in FASTHealth were sent a text message 7 days after vaccination that asked about any adverse events associated with their vaccine. A second message was sent 24 hours later to all nonresponders. Participants who answered “yes” were sent a link to a mobile phone survey to record the details of their adverse events, the researchers wrote. Nonresponders to either text message were interviewed over the phone regarding adverse events.
In all, 1,624 HCP were sent text messages; 88% replied. Of the responders, 239 reported one or more reactions to the vaccine. The most common systemic complaints were fatigue (3.8%), headache (3.7%) and respiratory symptoms (3.7%). Eight percent of responders reported redness, pain or swelling at the injection site.
“Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of implementing a timely, resource-conserving vaccine safety monitoring system among HCP each year during influenza vaccination season,” Tracey and colleagues wrote. – by Colleen Owens
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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