Citation

Forrester MB. J. Registry Manag. 2013; 40(2): 93-97.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, National Cancer Registrars Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

24002134

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) is a US surveillance program that collects information on adverse events that occur after the use of vaccines. Poison centers also receive calls about potentially adverse exposures to vaccines. Since the same vaccine exposure might be reported to both VAERS and a poison center, this study examined the feasibility of matching publicly available VAERS records to poison center records. METHODS: All VAERS records reported from Texas during 2000-2011 were downloaded from the VAERS database. All vaccine exposures reported to Texas poison centers during 2000-2011 were identified. Since no unique identifiers (eg, names, dates of birth, etc) were available in the public VAERS database, matches had to be made using other, non-unique data fields that both databases had in common. Matches were made using the following 4 data fields: vaccine, sex or gender, age, and date. The match rate was determined for total poison center records and for selected poison center variables. RESULTS: There were 13,630 VAERS and 738 poison center records in the investigation. Twenty-nine percent (213) of the poison center records were matched to VAERS records. The match rate by 3-year period was 2000-2002 (21 percent), 2003-2005 (27 percent), 2006-2008 (20 percent), and 2009-2011 (41 percent). The rate for the most common vaccines was influenza (42 percent), pneumococcal (39 percent), diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus (49 percent), hepatitis B (14 percent), and diphtheria-tetanus (29 percent). The match rate was 35 percent for adverse reactions and 32 percent for therapeutic errors. The rate was 28 percent for non-serious outcomes and 33 percent for serious outcomes. The match rate was 29 percent for patients managed on site and 28 percent for patients already at or referred to a health-care facility. CONCLUSION: Matching between public VAERS and poison center records can be performed. However, these matches might be considered tentative because unique identifiers are not available. The match rate was highest during the most recent 3-year period. The match rate varied by vaccine but not by the exposure reason, management site, or medical outcome.

Language: en