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Research

Following the introduction of jurisdictional maternal pertussis vaccination programs in Australia, we estimated maternal vaccine effectiveness (VE) and whether maternal pertussis vaccination modified the effectiveness of the first 3 primary doses of pertussis-containing vaccines.

Research

Previous Australian studies have shown that delayed vaccination with each of the three primary doses of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-containing vaccines (DTP) is up to 50 % in certain subpopulations. We estimated the excess burden of pertussis that might have been prevented if (i) all primary doses and (ii) each dose was given on time.

Research

Pertussis hospitalisation is more common among infants born prematurely, who have significant comorbidities, or are Indigenous, but acellular pertussis (aP) vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates in these sub-groups are lacking. We measured aP VE by Indigenous status, and policy-relevant categories of prematurity and comorbidity, in a population-based Australian cohort.

Research

Influenza diagnosis codes had high specificity (98.6%) and modest positive predictive value (PPV; 84.1%) and sensitivity (86.1%) for a laboratory-confirmed...

Research

Data on systemic and local reactions following receipt of TIV and dTpa during pregnancy support the safety of antenatal vaccination

News & Events

Clinical Professor Tobias Strunk, Dr Andrew Currie and their Neonatal Infection and Immunity Team have become the newest members of the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases.

Research

To evaluate the effectiveness of maternal pertussis vaccination for preventing pertussis infections in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants under seven months of age.

News & Events

Researchers from the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases at The Kids Research Institute Australia have shared their expertise with the community in Cockburn, covering topics ranging from respiratory disease in babies to recurring ear infections in kids.

Research

A birth acellular pertussis vaccine may be a valuable alternative for immunity against infant pertussis when a pregnancy pertussis vaccine has not been administered. We assessed whether a birth dose may impair immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses to childhood pertussis boosters.

Research

In the longest reported follow-up of infants who received aP vaccine at birth, we found a trend to lower PT IgG antibodies post booster compared with receipt...

News & Events

Toddlers will now get an additional whooping cough vaccine to protect them against the potentially deadly disease.

News & Events

Governments should rethink strategies to prevent whooping cough in newborn infants, including booster vaccination of close contacts of the baby.

Research

Asthma is among the commonest noncommunicable diseases of childhood and often occurs with other atopic comorbidities. A previous case-control study found evidence that compared to children who received acellular pertussis (aP) vaccines in early infancy, children who received one or more doses of whole-cell pertussis (wP) vaccine had lower risk of developing IgE-mediated food allergy. We hypothesized that wP vaccination in early infancy might protect against atopic asthma in childhood. 

Research

Pregnancy and early infancy are increased risk periods for severe adverse effects of respiratory infections. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (respectfully referred to as First Nations) women and children in Australia bear a disproportionately higher burden of respiratory diseases compared to non-Indigenous women and infants. Influenza vaccines and whooping cough (pertussis) vaccines are recommended and free in every Australian pregnancy to combat these infections.

Research

Multi-jurisdictional cohort of mother-infant pairs to measure the uptake, safety and effectiveness of antenatal IIV and dTpa vaccines in three Australian jurisdictions

Research

We therefore speculate that removal of wP from the vaccine schedule contributed to the observed rise in IgE-mediated food allergy among Australian infants

Research

Overall, infant immunisation coverage is currently >90% in Australia, but there are pockets of under-immunised children including children from migrant backgrounds.

Research

This study aimed to determine factors associated with severe pertussis in hospitalized children during an epidemic using a novel pertussis severity scoring...