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Free vaccines for pregnant mums see monumental rise in protection for WA babiesNew collaborative research involving almost 600,000 pregnant mothers has demonstrated a dramatic increase in uptake of the whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine after identifying just 22 per cent of WA women had the maternal vaccination between 2012 – 2017.
Research
"Fighting the pandemic!" Western Australian pharmacists' perspectives on COVID-19 vaccines: A qualitative studyIn Western Australia, community pharmacists are authorized to administer a range of vaccines without a prescription. Since mid-July 2021, pharmacists can also administer Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. Little is known about how pharmacists think and feel about giving and receiving COVID-19 vaccines and how they discuss it with patients.
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“We've wanted to vaccinate against it and now we can”: views of respiratory syncytial virus disease and immunisation held by caregivers of Aboriginal children in Perth, Western AustraliaRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of respiratory infection with a higher burden in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants and children. We conducted a pilot qualitative study identifying disease knowledge and willingness to immunise following the changing immunisation landscape for infant RSV in 2024.
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Meningococcal Disease in the Post–COVID-19 Era: A Time to PrepareThe global invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) landscape changed considerably during the COVID-19 pandemic, as evidenced by decreased incidence rates due to COVID-19 mitigation measures, such as limited social contact, physical distancing, mask wearing, and hand washing. Vaccination rates were also lower during the pandemic relative to pre-pandemic levels.
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Randomized Trial of BCG Vaccine to Protect against Covid-19 in Health Care WorkersThe bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine has immunomodulatory "off-target" effects that have been hypothesized to protect against coronavirus disease 2019.
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Safety and Tolerability of V114 Pneumococcal Vaccine in Infants: A Phase 3 StudyDisease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality in children. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines are well tolerated and effective at reducing pneumococcal disease caused by vaccine serotypes. VAXNEUVANCE (V114) is a 15-valent PCV containing 13 serotypes in Prevnar 13, plus serotypes 22F and 33F. This large phase 3 study evaluated safety and tolerability of V114 in infants.
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Geographical migration and fitness dynamics of Streptococcus pneumoniaeStreptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of pneumonia and meningitis worldwide. Many different serotypes co-circulate endemically in any one location. The extent and mechanisms of spread and vaccine-driven changes in fitness and antimicrobial resistance remain largely unquantified.
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The genomic evolutionary dynamics and global circulation patterns of respiratory syncytial virusRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of acute lower respiratory tract infection in young children and the second leading cause of infant death worldwide. While global circulation has been extensively studied for respiratory viruses such as seasonal influenza, and more recently also in great detail for SARS-CoV-2, a lack of global multi-annual sampling of complete RSV genomes limits our understanding of RSV molecular epidemiology.
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Efficacy and safety of influenza vaccination during pregnancy: realizing the potential of maternal influenza immunizationPregnant women are at higher risk of severe complications following influenza infection compared to the general population. Influenza vaccination during pregnancy can offer direct protection to pregnant women and passive immunity to infants up to 6 months of age via maternal antibodies. Pregnant women are a high priority group for influenza immunization.
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The Use of Test-negative Controls to Monitor Vaccine Effectiveness: A Systematic Review of MethodologyOur review highlights similarities and differences in the application of the test-negative design that deserve further examination