Botswana Medicines Regulatory Authority Celebrates MedSafetyWeek
Help make vaccines better for everyone by reporting suspected side effects
Botswana Medicines Regulatory Authority (BoMRA) launches a weeklong social media campaign to promote the importance of reporting suspected side effects following vaccination.
Taking place from 1–7 November 2021, the sixth annual #MedSafetyWeek social media campaign will focus on vaccines. Medicines agencies from 64 countries will be encouraging healthcare professionals, national immunisation programme staff, as well as patients, their carers and families, to report problems experienced with vaccines including COVID-19 jabs.
Vaccines are the best way to protect individuals against infectious diseases and have already saved millions of lives. Like all medicines, side effects may happen. Reporting suspected side effects to help to identify new adverse reactions and gain more information about known effects.
Every report counts, so the advice to everyone is to not delay reporting and not wait for someone else to report their suspicions. Healthcare professionals administering vaccines are especially encouraged to discuss side effects with patients and to be vigilant for new or rare suspected side effects with vaccines.
Dr Parthasarathi Gurumurthy, Director Pharmacovigilance and Clinical Trials, says:
“This campaign comes at a crucial time when millions of people are vaccinated against COVID-19 but is also applicable to all vaccines. “Reporting suspected side effects to health care practitioners plays a key role in helping BoMRA monitor the safe use of all vaccines to protect public health through effective regulation.
“By working together and sharing information, we can make vaccines better for everyone.”