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Research
Ontogeny of plasma cytokine and chemokine concentrations across the first four months of human life in a Papua new Guinean cohortDynamic molecular changes in early life follow a robust ontogeny as the infant immune system adapts to the demands of its new environment. Studies of plasma immunomodulatory cytokines and chemokines have previously demonstrated ontogenetic patterns of immune development across the first week of life. However, how plasma cytokine and chemokines concentrations evolve over the first 4 months of life remains unknown.
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Estimating the impact of Western Australia's first respiratory syncytial virus immunisation program for all infants: A mathematical modelling studyThe Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration approved the use of nirsevimab, a long-acting monoclonal antibody for the prevention of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), in November 2023. Western Australia (WA) implemented a combination of nirsevimab administration strategies designed to protect all infants starting in April 2024, before the epidemic season. We developed a dynamic transmission model to predict the impact of WA's RSV immunisation program on infant hospitalisations.
Research
Haemophilus influenzae remains the predominant otitis media pathogen in Australian children undergoing ventilation tube insertion in the PCV13 eraUnderstanding patterns of bacterial carriage and otitis media (OM) microbiology is crucial for assessing vaccine impact and informing policy. The microbiology of OM can vary with geography, time, and interventions like pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs). We evaluated the microbiology of nasopharyngeal and middle ear effusions in children living in Western Australia, 11 years following the introduction of PCV13.
News & Events
New meningococcal strains bring increased risk in WAA new study has confirmed the changing pattern of meningococcal disease in Western Australia.
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AMEND study protocol: A case-control study to assess the long-term impact of invasive meningococcal disease in Australian adolescents and young adultsThis study aims to address this evidence gap by assessing the clinical, physical, neurocognitive, economic and societal impact of invasive meningococcal disease
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The contribution of viruses and bacteria to community-acquired pneumonia in vaccinated children: A case - Control studyRespiratory viruses, particularly respiratory syncytial virus and human metapneumovirus, are major contributors to pneumonia in Australian children
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Postvaccination Febrile Seizure Severity and OutcomeVaccine-proximate febrile seizures accounted for a small proportion of all febrile seizures hospital presentations
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Effectiveness of a 3 + 0 pneumococcal conjugate vaccine schedule against invasive pneumococcal disease among a birth cohort of 1.4 million children in AustraliaOur population-based cohort study demonstrates that >90% coverage in the first year of a universal 3 + 0 PCV program provided high population-level protection
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Predominant bacteria detected from the middle ear fluid of children experiencing otitis media: A systematic reviewGlobally, S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae remain the predominant otopathogens associated with OM as identified through bacterial culture
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Otitis-prone children produce functional antibodies to pneumolysin and pneumococcal polysaccharidesThe production of functional antipneumococcal antibodies in otitisprone children demonstrates that they respond to the current pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV)and are likely to respond to pneumolysin-based vaccines as effectively as healthy children.