MVEC Director Prof Nigel Crawford and Education Nurse Coordinator Rachael McGuire, recently travelled to Lao PDR in support of vaccine safety.
Delivering a workshop funded by WHO Lao PDR Country Office, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the Australian Government through the Partnerships for a Healthy Region initiative, they were joined by colleagues Prof Kristine Macartney (NCIRS), Bernice Sarpong (NCIRS), and Prof Julie Leask (University of Sydney). Over 3 days, members of the National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group (NITAG), Laos AEFI committee, clinicians and specialists explored management and reporting of adverse events, adverse event case definitions, causality assessments, and adverse event communication. At the conclusion of the teaching, it was exciting to see our Laos counterparts set themselves goals to work towards that will strengthen the country’s immunisation safety practices in the future.
Following the workshop, Nigel and Rachael were invited to visit Mahasot Hospital, Vientiane, and the Children’s Hospital, Vientiane. Observing in-country immunisation practice and capacity, and understanding the challenges of the current systems proved invaluable for identifying ways to increase both immunisation coverage and trust in vaccines. MCRI and MVEC continue to support vaccine safety in Laos into 2027 with support from the Australian Government.