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Gram-negative bacterial infections remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children and neonates globally, compounded by the rise of antimicrobial resistance. Barriers to paediatric antibiotic licencing lead to reduced availability of potentially effective agents for treatment. For children and neonates in the Oceania region, specific challenges remain including a paucity of surveillance data on local rates of antimicrobial resistance, and lack of availability of newer, more costly agents.
Licensed recombinant protein respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines can prevent substantial morbidity in older adults. However, revaccination to prevent waning protection may be suboptimal, prompting the exploration of candidates for heterologous boosting. In this clinical trial of RSV vaccine-naive older adults, we evaluated SCB-1019T, a novel unadjuvanted bivalent RSV prefusion F (preF) protein vaccine stabilized via Trimer-Tag technology, in comparison to the licensed AS01E-adjuvanted RSV vaccine Arexvy.
Childhood mortality in low- or middle-income countries (LMICs) remains a major public health concern, with infections being a leading cause of infant death. Probiotics have shown promise in reducing infection-related morbidity and mortality in preterm infants, but their use in newborns born at or near term in LMICs requires further investigation.
Pneumococcal – a bacterial infection that can cause pneumonia and meningitis – is responsible for 1000s of hospital admissions in Australia each year, many of them children.
Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), or long COVID, are a public health concern. While most recover from SARS-CoV-2 infections within weeks, some experience persistent symptoms. Here, we quantified the association between repeated SARS-CoV-2 infections and the risk of hospital-diagnosed PASC.
Rhinoviruses (RV) are the most common respiratory viruses globally and a major cause of airway symptoms in children and individuals with asthma. Although more than 170 RV types exist across 3 species (RV-A, RV-B, RV-C), type-specific circulation patterns and age-related prevalence remain poorly defined.
Immunisation is the most effective way of protecting your child against a range of serious illnesses, including measles, hepatitis B and whooping cough. All vaccines used in Australia undergo stringent testing and ongoing monitoring.
Whooping cough (pertussis) is a highly contagious respiratory infection which causes a severe cough and can be particularly dangerous to babies under a year old. Vaccination is the best way to reduce the risk of whooping cough.
Vaccination is the injection of an inactivated bacteria or virus into the body. This simulated infection allows an individual's immune system to develop an adaptive immunity for protection against that type of illness. When a sufficiently large percentage of a population has been vaccinated, this results in herd immunity.
Global rates of invasive Group A Streptococcus (iGAS) disease surged from September 2022, exceeding pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, showing atypical seasonality and disproportionately affecting children. We previously described the epidemiology of iGAS among Australian children from mid-2018 to end 2022 using data from the Paediatric Active Enhanced Diseases network and here provide updated clinical epidemiology for 2023 and 2024 to help inform public health strategies.