Our work

NCIRS leads a range of vaccine safety activities in partnership with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). These ensure that adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) are effectively monitored, assessed and managed.  
 

Vaccine safety activities

AusVaxSafety

AusVaxSafety is Australia’s national active vaccine safety surveillance system and has been operating for over a decade. It uses online surveys to collect data directly from people after vaccination, providing real-time safety monitoring for all new immunisation programs and ongoing surveillance of existing vaccines.  

Learn more about AusVaxSafety
 

AEFI-CAN

The Adverse Events Following Immunisation Clinical Assessment Network (AEFI-CAN) is a national network with more than 60 members, including:  

  • clinicians, such as paediatricians, infectious disease specialists, immunologists, vaccinologists and nurse immunisers
  • researchers
  • government representatives.

AEFI-CAN works collaboratively to:

  • deliver expert clinical evaluation and care for individuals experiencing serious or unexpected AEFI
  • provide expert advice to clinicians and health authorities on managing AEFI cases and clusters  
  • develop consistent national approaches to managing serious AEFI
  • share vaccine safety data and insights across the network
  • support research into AEFI management and patient outcomes. 
     

Education and engagement  

NCIRS provides a wide range of vaccine safety resources and education to support healthcare professionals, public health units and government stakeholders. These include evidence-based online materials focused on vaccine safety and adverse event management, alongside regularly scheduled webinars and workshops that address current and emerging safety topics. 
 

Collaboration with the TGA

For more than 20 years, NCIRS has worked in close partnership with the TGA to produce annual vaccine safety reports based on data from the Adverse Event Monitoring System (AEMS). This collaboration has evolved to integrate data from both active and passive surveillance systems, enhancing regulatory decision-making and improving public communication on vaccine safety. 

Last updated October 2025