History

• The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funds the CARESAFE project within COVID-19 Vaccine Introduction Program (COVIP) for low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) to pilot several approaches to strengthen their capacity for pharmacovigilance of COVID-19 vaccine and adverse events following immunization (AEFI)/if special interest (AESI).”

• The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) recommended that “any review of the safety of new vaccines be based on the appropriate Brighton Collaboration standardized templates for benefit–risk assessment of vaccines (by technology platforms) when available and approved, which offer a structured approach to evaluating safety”.

•  The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) recommended that “any review of the safety of additional vector-based Ebola virus vaccines should be based on the Brighton Collaboration vector template, as it offers a structured approach to evaluating safety”.
• The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the Brighton Collaboration launch the Safety Platform for Emergency vACcines (SPEAC) Project.
• The Brighton Collaboration has been dissolved as a Partnership under Swiss law and reconstituted as a programme of the Task Force for Global Health (TFGH; www.taskforce.org).

• Relaunch of the new Brighton Collaboration Website and the Virtual Institute ACADEMY.
• The Brighton Collaboration Foundation signs a Memorandum of Understanding with Taiwan Centers for Disease Control.
• The Brighton Collaboration Foundation and the Hochschule Hannover launched an internship project. Three students (BA Medical Information Management) were hosted successfully.
• The GAIA project has been completed successfully and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has provided funding for a project extension (GAIA Phase II).

Results of the international study investigating the association of Influenza H1N1 Vaccine with narcolepsy are presented to the WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety.

• GAIA Network for Global Alignment of Immunisation safety Assessment in pregnancy established.
• Vaccine Module of European Joint Master Program in Paediatric Drug Development and Evaluation created and delivered.   

• Clinical Advisory Forum of Experts (CAFE) is launched as a real-time exchange platform for vaccine safety professionals worldwide.
• Templates for documenting the safety of Viral Vector Vaccines created.             
• Brighton Collaboration Online Journal Club formalised to promote open and transparent scientific debate of current issues in vaccine safety.

• Brighton Collaboration instrumental in building ADVANCE consortium.  
• The Vaccine Safety Quarterly provides news and information from the volunteering Brighton Collaboration network and reaches over 4000 members of the Brighton Collaboration.
• Vaccine.GRID established as independent foundation and dedicated platform for the conduct of large-scale international observational vaccine safety and benefit-risk studies.
• International symposium on innovations in vaccine safety monitoring in Shanghai.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) request worldwide study on narcolepsy (SOMNIA).   

• The Brighton Foundation US is registered in Boston, Massachusetts as a public charity and associated partner to the Brighton Collaboration Foundation, Switzerland.
• First ever international risk assessment study based on one protocol and one data sharing infrastructure published based on over 30 Million population: Guillain-Barre Syndrome following pandemic influenza H1N1 vaccine.  
• First ever international background rate studies based on one protocol and one data sharing infrastructure: A dozen adverse events of special interest based on over 260 Million person years.
• World Health Organization (WHO) vaccine safety strategy (Vaccine Safety Blueprint) published. Brighton Collaboration was development partner.

• Brighton Collaboration contributes to World Health Organization (WHO) Global Vaccine Safety Landscape Analysis.
• 2009 Pilot of European Vaccine Safety Data Network launched on request of ECDC.      
• General guidelines for the collection, analysis, and publication of vaccine safety data in surveillance systems and clinical trials.

• First method for evaluating case definitions established and published.         
• Computer-based classification of adverse events is automated. The ABC-Tool is available on the website.
• The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommends the use of Brighton Collaboration standards.   

• Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends the use of Brighton Collaboration case definitions.

• European Center of Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) joins as observer and funding agency.
• American Academy of Pediatrics references the Brighton Collaboration in its infectious disease reference manual, the Redbook.

• UN Council for International Organization of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) recommends the use of Brighton Collaboration case definitions and guidelines.

• Foundation creates first online collaboration platform.
• First scientific publications of the Brighton Collaboration including first six case definitions of adverse events following immunisation.  

• Brighton Collaboration Foundation is founded as a Swiss NPO with international scope, established with seed capital of the University Children’s Hospital Basel (UKBB).

• The network has become global with several hundred active participants coming from all continents.

• The Brighton Method for defining adverse events following immunization was established.

• Official launch meeting of the Brighton Collaboration in Verona. Kathrin Kohl, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Jan Bonhoeffer, University Children’s Hospital Basel (UKBB) were appointed to build an international network and coordinate activities.
• WHO joins as observer and funding agency.

• Robert Chen called for improving the quality of vaccine safety data at a Vaccine Conference in Brighton, England. Harald Heijbel, Ulrich Heininger, Tom Jefferson, and Elisabeth Loupi joined to address this need.