SARS-CoV2 vaccines licensed in the UK by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MRHA) are subject to additional monitoring. This is to allow quick identification of emerging safety information on newly licensed medicines. Healthcare professionals in the UK are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions directly to the MHRA using what is known within the UK as the ‘yellow card system’; which is not a recognized adverse events system in the Cayman Islands.
As we are using UK sourced and licensed vaccines, we inherit a duty to implement these surveillance obligations, but can do so in a manner that is appropriate to our circumstances. The system we use is the PAHO/WHO reporting of Events Supposedly Attributed to Vaccination or Immunization (ESAVI). This surveillance tool is aimed at early detection of any adverse events that may occur following vaccination. By doing so, it’s possible to monitor and classify risks related to a vaccine, the manufacturing process, transportation, storage, administration, and to rule out an association between the event and the vaccine.
This surveillance has been in place since SARS-CoV2 vaccines became available to us during the pandemic with information captured through a paper form. The Public Health Department have updated this approach to now be captured electronically, on the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority (HSA) website or the Ministry of Health’s website.
A link to the surveillance form is here: https://forms.office.com/r/wi78Qw5Rwd .
The purpose of introducing digital reporting is to enable real time monitoring of any reactions and create a more robust surveillance system. Nothing has changed in the type of data collected. The form does not collect any information that can be used to identify an individual, therefore all online entries will be anonymous.
To ensure vaccine safety, persons who have received the COVID-19 Autumn booster are encouraged to fill out this form if they experience any adverse events after being vaccinated. While these reactions are suspected to be the result of a recent vaccination, some events may result from other non-vaccine related factors and some reactions are indicative of the body’s normal immune response. By reporting this information, Public Health can monitor for any new side effects or unusual patterns.
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