Repository of WHO-validated websites yield vaccine safety information

With more and more information about vaccine safety available on the Internet, it can be difficult to differentiate good information from bad information, perpetuating fear and false assumptions. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has established a Vaccine Safety Net – a global network of 47 confirmed websites in 12 languages that presents credible information on vaccines, including on Human papillomavirus (HPV) and Hepatitis B (HBV) vaccinations.

Vaccination against HPV, a key cause of cervical cancer, and HBV, a cause of liver cancer, is a highly recommended, cost-effective strategy for cancer control in the Global Action Plan on Non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Yet, across all vaccines, even when they are readily available, there remains stigma due to contradictory or confusing safety and efficacy information online.

"Every day, misinformation about vaccines continues to proliferate on the internet," says Isabelle Sahinovic, Vaccine Safety Net coordinator at WHO. "This is dangerous. We need to make sure that all parents, caregivers and health care professionals can easily access accurate and trustworthy information about vaccines."

The Vaccine Safety Net aims to address this head on by putting in one place validated resources using criteria defined by the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety, an independent scientific community that advises on vaccine safety concerns. All sites represented on the Vaccine Safety Net maintain a public health focus with evidence-based, transparent and unbiased information.

Vaccine Safety Net is now in the process of evaluating more websites and other social media channels, such as Facebook, across additional languages.

Full story available on the WHO website. For more information on fighting cervical cancer, visit Cervical Cancer Action.