Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety, 6–7 December 2017

The Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS), an independent expert clinical and scientific advisory body, provides WHO with scientifically rigorous advice on vaccine safety issues of potential global importance. GACVS held its 37th meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, on 6–7 December 2017. The Committee examined vaccine specific safety issues: progress with pharmacovigilance readiness for the RTS,S malaria vaccine pilot countries, and updates on the safety profiles of both rotavirus and dengue vaccines. It also reviewed generic issues: the interrater reliability of the revised causality assessment algorithm for serious adverse events following immunization (AEFIs); guidance on prevention and management of immunization-triggered stress reactions; and harmonized approaches for the vigilance of vaccine and other interventions during pregnancy