From new research findings to practical tools for vaccine safety monitoring, SPEAC had plenty to share at two international conferences in September.
SPEAC representatives participated in the 20th Vaccine Congress in Seville, Spain, September 14–16, and the International Society of Pharmacovigilance (ISoP) 2026 Annual Meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, September 22–25.
Across the two conferences, SPEAC representatives delivered five poster presentations covering four distinct areas of work, with research on Case Definition Companion Guides featured at both meetings. The presentations highlighted how SPEAC and Brighton Collaboration resources are helping researchers, vaccine developers, and public health professionals assess vaccine safety, apply standardized methods, and put scientific evidence into practice.
Showcasing SPEAC’s Work at ISoP 2026
At ISoP, Shelly Karuna presented three posters showcasing work from across the SPEAC project, including vaccine safety profiles, Case Definition Companion Guides, and educational resources.
BRAVATO: Making Vaccine Safety Information Easier to Access and Compare
How can vaccine developers and other stakeholders more easily access and compare essential vaccine safety information?
One poster explored that question through the Brighton Collaboration’s Benefit-Risk Assessment of VAccines by TechnolOgy (BRAVATO) initiative.
Working with vaccine developers, BRAVATO and SPEAC have completed 18 standardized vaccine profiles across five vaccine technology platforms, with contributions from 15 developers. Twelve profiles have been published, with additional publications planned.
The profiles bring together information on vaccine characteristics, safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy in a consistent format. By complementing existing clinical and regulatory documents, they provide stakeholders with a more accessible resource for evaluating vaccine safety and benefit-risk considerations.
Companion Guides: Putting Case Definitions to Work
Standardized case definitions are essential to vaccine safety research, but applying them consistently across different studies and settings can be challenging.
That’s where Brighton Collaboration Case Definition Companion Guides come in.
Presented at both ISoP and the 20th Vaccine Congress, this research highlighted how Companion Guides help researchers and vaccine safety professionals apply standardized case definitions for Adverse Events of Special Interest (AESIs).
Developed by Hammad Ali, Barbara Law, and Sonali Kochhar on behalf of SPEAC, the poster described how the guides bring together practical information, including diagnostic codes, background incidence rates, risk factors, case report forms, and algorithms for assessing levels of diagnostic certainty.
The goal is to make it easier to collect, classify, and compare safety data consistently, whether in clinical trials, epidemiologic research, or post-marketing surveillance.
Shelly Karuna presented the poster at ISoP, while Preetha Iyengar presented it at the 20th Vaccine Congress, bringing these resources to audiences at both meetings.
Explore the Companion Guides →
Educational Resources: Helping More People Use SPEAC Tools
Developing scientific tools is only part of the equation. Making sure people know how to use them is just as important.
A third ISoP poster highlighted SPEAC’s expanding collection of educational resources, including instructional videos, recorded webinars, training slides, and materials focused on specific adverse events following immunization (AEFIs).
The presentation also featured training initiatives developed with Africa CDC and other partners to support vaccine safety surveillance in Africa.
These resources are available through SPEAC’s online Educational Resource Library, which brings training materials together in one place for individual learning and group instruction.
Explore the Educational Resource Library →
From Research to Real-World Use at the 20th Vaccine Congress
Meanwhile, at the 20th Vaccine Congress in Seville, SPEAC’s Preetha Iyengar presented two posters and connected with researchers, industry representatives, and government partners interested in vaccine safety tools and methods.
How Are Brighton Collaboration Tools Being Used?
One of Preetha’s posters took a closer look at how Brighton Collaboration case definitions and SPEAC tools are being used in practice.
The research combined interviews with 15 participants and a survey of 42 Brighton Collaboration network members from government agencies, pharmaceutical companies, and academic institutions.
The findings showed substantial use among respondents: all 15 interviewees and 34 of 42 survey respondents reported using Brighton Collaboration case definitions.
Participants pointed to benefits such as more consistent adverse event classification, improved comparability of safety data, and better communication with regulatory authorities.
The research also identified areas for improvement. Some respondents described challenges with complex classification algorithms and the detailed clinical information required to apply certain definitions. Their feedback highlighted opportunities for digital tools, targeted training, and more streamlined approaches to data collection.
These insights offer useful direction for SPEAC as it continues working to make its tools easier to apply across the vaccine development lifecycle.
Continuing the Conversation
Both conferences offered opportunities to share SPEAC’s research, connect with colleagues working across the vaccine safety field, and introduce resources that can support their work.
Whether through standardized vaccine profiles, practical Companion Guides, educational materials, or research into how these tools are used, SPEAC continues to focus on making vaccine safety science more consistent, accessible, and useful.
Explore SPEAC’s tools and resources at speacsafety.net.
