The federal public engagement initiative occurred against the backdrop of an emerging safety issue related to vaccine contamination. The FDA's vaccine licensing advisory committee (VRBPAC) will meet May 7th to discuss vaccine contamination following the FDA's March recommendation to suspend use of Rotarix vaccine after pig virus DNA was discovered in the vaccine. As the VRBPAC consumer representative, Dr. Debold cast the only dissenting vote during 2008 FDA pre-licensure hearings on Rotarix vaccine safety. Additionally, during VRBPAC's November 2009 meeting, NVIC's Fisher questioned the potential for insect virus contamination of an experimental H1N1 vaccine grown in caterpillar cells.

In 2009, NVAC reviewed the federal vaccine research agenda and NVIC supported creating a robust national vaccine safety research agenda, including a study comparing health outcomes in highly vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. In June 2009, NVAC unanimously recommended the expanded federal vaccine safety research agenda and the feasibility of conducting a study to evaluate vaccine health outcomes.

SOURCE National Vaccine Information Center