title: A global perspective on vaccine safety and public health: the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety.
abstract: Established in 1999, the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety advises the World Health Organization (WHO) on vaccine-related safety issues and enables WHO to respond promptly, efficiently, and with scientific rigor to issues of vaccine safety with potential global importance. The committee also assesses the implications of vaccine safety for practice worldwide and for WHO policies. We describe the principles on which the committee was established, its modus operandi, and the scope of the work undertaken, both present and future. We highlight its recent recommendations on major issues, including the purported link between the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and autism and the safety of the mumps, influenza, yellow fever, BCG, and smallpox vaccines as well as that of thiomersal-containing vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council, PO Box 19070, Tygerberg 7505, Cape Town, South Africa. pfolb@mrc.ac.za
authors.forename: Peter I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Folb
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bernatowska
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clemens
authors.forename: Alex N O
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Dodoo
authors.forename: Susan S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ellenberg
authors.forename: C Patrick
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Farrington
authors.forename: T Jacob
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: John
authors.forename: Paul-Henri
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: Noni E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Macdonald
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Salisbury
authors.forename: Heinz-J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: Claire-Anne
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Siegrist
authors.forename: Omala
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Wimalaratne
mesh_terms: D026683:Advisory Committees / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D012449:Safety; D014612:Vaccines / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014944:World Health Organization
chemical_list: D014612:Vaccines