VSN Website Templates
The Vaccine Safety Net (VSN) is a global network of websites, established by the World Health Organization, that provides reliable information on vaccine safety.
To support membership from institutions with limited resources, the WHO Pharmacovigilance team developed the “VSN website template”. This is a capacity building tool, which will assist candidate websites from national regulatory authorities, national immunization programmes and professional associations to comply with the VSN criteria for good information practices and join the network.
This template is a “minimum package” containing placeholders for implementing the VSN criteria for good information practices, suggestions on how to adequately address different criteria with examples and screen shots by VSN members and suggested vaccine safety topics to be included to address the criteria related to the content of the website. Topics such as immunization and vaccine safety, tailored to a lay audience and healthcare professionals are included.
Adoption of the VSN website templates will ensure that the website complies with the best practices in terms of accessibility and design and will alleviate the burden of maintenance and update of the website.
Disclaimer
All reasonable precautions have been taken by WHO Pharmacovigilance team to verify the information contained in these VSN templates. However, the content is being provided without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. Use of VSN template is strictly voluntary and at the user's sole risk. In no event shall WHO be liable for damages arising from its use.
Package - Professional Association
Professional Associations are welcome to download the template and fill the information corresponding to their institution, culture, needs as well as the technical information on vaccine safety addressing the topics of their interest.
The VSN criteria for good information practices are grouped in four categories: criteria supporting the credibility of the website, criteria supporting the quality and the content of the website and criteria supporting the practices of accessibility and design. More information on these criteria can be found in the VSN page of the WHO website.
Institutions will be supported by the WHO Pharmacovigilance Team to address potential challenges with downloading the template, filling different parts, creating or deleting pages and creating or deleting new content blocs.
Package - National Regulatory Authority
National Regulatory Authorities are welcome to download the template and fill the information corresponding to their institution, culture, needs as well as the technical information on vaccine safety addressing the topics of their interest.
The template aimed to be used for National Regulatory Authorities, includes the nine functions that support the key role of regulatory systems, that is ensuring the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines and vaccines. The information is based on the WHO’s structured and documented process (i.e., Global Benchmarking Tool – GBT) aiming at stable, well-functioning and integrated regulatory systems. Among the nine functions, Vigilance is the science and activities relating to the detection, assessment, understanding and prevention of adverse effects or any other medical product-related problems. Vigilance activities guarantee that safe and effective medicinal products of high quality are used within the country.
The VSN criteria for good information practices are grouped in four categories: criteria supporting the credibility of the website, criteria supporting the quality and the content of the website and criteria supporting the practices of accessibility and design. More information on these criteria can be found in the VSN page of the WHO website.
Institutions will be supported by the WHO Pharmacovigilance Team to address potential challenges with downloading the template, filling different parts, creating or deleting pages and creating or deleting new content blocs.
Package - National Immunization Program
National Immunization Programs are welcome to download the template and fill the information corresponding to their institution, culture, needs as well as the technical information on vaccine safety addressing the topics of their interest.
Today every country in the world has a national immunization programme. Since the initial focus on six childhood vaccine-preventable diseases over four decades ago, the addition of new vaccines has increased the health protection provided by immunization, of older children, adolescents and adults. The template aimed to be used by national immunization programmes include information to care providers, healthcare professionals to provide science-based information and support informed decision making. The VSN criteria for good information practices are grouped in four categories: criteria supporting the credibility of the website, criteria supporting the quality and the content of the website and criteria supporting the practices of accessibility and design. More information on these criteria can be found in the VSN page of the WHO website.
Institutions will be supported by the WHO Pharmacovigilance Team to address potential challenges with downloading the template, filling different parts, creating or deleting pages and creating or deleting new content blocs.