The World Vaccine Congress brings together global stakeholders across vaccine development, safety, and policy.
At this year’s meeting, beginning March 30 in Washington, D.C., SPEAC (Safety Platform for Emergency vACcines) experts will present two sessions focused on strengthening how vaccine safety data are defined and used, building on the work of the Brighton Collaboration.
The value of Brighton Collaboration case definitions in observational data
When the Brighton Collaboration was established in 2000, standardized case definitions were developed to improve the consistency and comparability of vaccine safety data based on general public health methodologic principles.
This session examines the scientific evidence supporting their value from post-licensure surveillance, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights how Brighton case definitions contribute to more consistent classification of adverse events, improved comparability across studies, and clearer interpretation of safety signals.
The session also considers how this evidence can support regulatory decision-making and where there are opportunities to further optimize their use.
Achieving Synergy Between Brighton Collaboration Case Definitions and MedDRA Terminology
This session focuses on the relationship between Brighton case definitions and MedDRA, the global standard for coding adverse events.
While both are central to vaccine safety, alignment between them has historically been limited. This presentation explores emerging approaches to better connect clinical case definitions with regulatory terminology systems, drawing on advances in data science, clinical medicine, and epidemiology.
Strengthening this alignment has the potential to improve data interoperability, signal detection, and the overall usability of vaccine safety data.
Supporting more connected vaccine safety systems
Together, these sessions highlight the importance of standardized definitions and better-aligned data systems in supporting more reliable, interpretable vaccine safety evidence.
Learn more about Brighton case definitions HERE.
