Vaccine Safety Partners

CDC works in close partnership with other federal, state and local agencies, as well as private entities to monitor and communicate about the safety of U.S. vaccines.  Links to several of these partners are included below, with a brief description of how their work intersects with that of CDC’s Immunization Safety Office.

Federal Government Partners:

• Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research
  FDA regulates vaccine clinical trials, licenses vaccines, and monitors vaccine safety after the public begins using the vaccine.
• Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
  HRSA runs the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program and the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program.
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Trials
  NIH maintains ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of clinical studies involving people. This includes vaccine studies.
• National Vaccine Program Office (NVPO)
  NVPO coordinates and ensures collaboration among the many Federal agencies involved in vaccine and immunization activities.
• Vaccine Safety Coordinators (VSCs)
  VSCs serve as the “eyes and ears” for CDC on vaccine safety issues in their local areas.

Non-Government Partners:

• Immunization Action Coalition (IAC)
  IAC creates and distributes immunization educational materials for health professionals and the public, and facilitates communication about vaccines between patients, parents, health care organizations, and government health agencies.
• Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP)
  ISMP provides resources and tools for preventing medication errors and promoting safe medication use.