Vaccine Trials Group

The mission of the Vaccine Trials Group is to improve the health of the community through immunisation and the prevention of infectious diseases.

The Vaccine Trials Group (VTG) team of doctors, nurses, researchers, scientists, students and phlebotomists is testing and evaluating the safety and effectiveness of new vaccines for a range of diseases, as well as monitoring vaccines.

The VTG was established in 2000 to provide a coordinated approach to the development, delivery, assessment and promotion of vaccines, infectious disease and allergy treatments in the community. The team plays a vital role in the development and evaluation of vaccines recommended for children and adults throughout Australia.

The VTG leads national studies focusing on a range of diseases including influenza,
pneumococcal, meningococcal, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and whooping cough.

Team leader

Peter Richmond

MBBS MRCP(UK) FRACP

Head, Vaccine Trials Group

Team members (17)

Jennifer Kent

Clinical Research Manager

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Christian Tjiam

BSc BMedSc(hons) PhD

Honorary Research Associate

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Zoe Ellis

Clinical Laboratory Coordinator

Camille Gibson

Research Nurse

Heidi Hutton

Research Assistant

Jan Jones

Laboratory Research Assistant

Karen Jones

Executive Assistant

Sonia McAlister

Research Assistant

Kieran Veale

Research Nurse

Ushma Wadia

Clinical Research Fellow

Miriam West

Research Nurse

Kerrie Lisgaris

Research Nurse

Jonah Macliver

Laboratory Research Assistant

Shania Tansil

Laboratory Research Assistant

Chantalia Tedja

Laboratory Research Assistant

Christina Anthony

Research Nurse

Madeline Ong

Clinical Research Fellow

Vaccine Trials Group projects

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Featured projects

BCG vaccination to Reduce the impact of COVID-19 in Australian healthcare workers following Coronavirus Exposure (BRACE) Trial

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August 2020

ATOMIC Ears: A Phase IIB randomised controlled trial to assess safety, tolerability and acceptability of a 5-day Dornase alfa treatment as an adjunct therapy to ventilation tube insertion for otitis media in children

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August 2020

Other projects

Sore Throat Melbourne and Perth Study: The Australian Strep A Vaccine Initiative (ASAVI) Urban Pharyngitis Surveillance Study (STAMPS) COVALIA (COVid vaccine trial for austrALIA): A phase I, double-blind, dose-ranging, randomised, placebo-controlled trial to study the safety and immunogenicity of a DNA-based vaccine against COVID-19 (COVIGEN) in healthy participants aged 18 to 75 years o A phase IIIB, randomized, controlled, observer-blind study to evaluate safety and immunogenicity of GSK’s meningococcal ABCWY vaccine when administered in healthy adolescents and adults, previously primed with meningococcal ACWY vaccine (BOOST) A phase 3, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial toevaluate the efficacy and safety of a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) prefusion F subunit vaccine in infants born to women vaccinated during pregnancy (Matisse) Safety and Immunogenicity of Early Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine: A phase 2prospective randomised open-label feasibility study (FluBub) A Phase 3, randomized, double-blind trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of a 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine given as a series of 2 infant doses and 1 toddler dose in healthy infants (NeXXstep) All Vaccine Trials Group projects

Past projects

The Long-term Impact of Serogroup B Invasive Meningococcal Disease (IMD) in Australian Adolescents and Young Adults: AMEND study A phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, active-comparator-controlled study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of V114 in healthy infants (PNEU-PED-EU-1) A Phase 3, Randomized, Observer-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Group-Sequential Study to Determine the Immunogenicity and Safety of a Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) F Nanoparticle Vaccine with Aluminium in Healthy Third-trimester Pregnant Women; and Safety A Phase II Randomized, Controlled, Observer-Blinded Study, Conducted to Describe the Immunogenicity, Safety, and Tolerability of a Neisseria Meningitidis Serogroup B Bivalent Recombinant Lipoprotein 2086 Vaccine When Administered to Healthy Toddlers Testing the meningococcal conjugate vaccine MenACWY-TT in toddlers Phase 2b Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of MEDI8897, a Monoclonal Antibody With an Extended Half-life Against Respiratory Syncytial Virus, in Healthy Preterm Infants TESTOV Pneumo A study to determine the safety and immunogenicity of 10-valent and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in Papua New Guinean children PneumoWA: A case-control study of the role of viral and bacterial pathogens in causing pneumonia among Western Australian children Study of an oral medication for infants hospitalized with Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infection Efficacy, Immunogenicity, and Safety Study of Clostridium difficile Toxoid Vaccine in Subjects at Risk for C. difficile Infection

Vaccine Trials Group

News

Protecting children against food allergies

Reports and Findings

The Platform trial In COVID-19 vaccine priming and BOOsting (PICOBOO) booster vaccination substudy protocol

Coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in Australia commenced in February 2021. The first vaccines recommended for use were AZD1222 and BNT162b2, both delivered as a two-dose primary schedule. In the absence of sustained immunity following immunisation, recommendations for booster vaccination have followed. It is likely that periodic boosting will be necessary for at least some Australians, but it is unknown what the optimal booster vaccines and schedules are or for whom vaccination should be recommended.

Published research Immunisation Infectious Diseases Infectious Disease Implementation Research Vaccine Trials Group Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease Group COVID-19

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November 2024

Novel coenzyme Q6 genetic variant increases susceptibility to pneumococcal disease

Acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRI) remains a major worldwide cause of childhood mortality, compelling innovation in prevention and treatment. Children in Papua New Guinea (PNG) experience profound morbidity from ALRI caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. As a result of evolutionary divergence, the human PNG population exhibits profound genetic variation and diversity. To address unmet health needs of children in PNG, we tested whether genetic variants increased ALRI morbidity.

Published research Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials Group Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Respiratory viral infections Genetics

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November 2024

Effect of a campaign with oral polio vaccine on general health: A cluster-randomised trial in rural Guinea-Bissau

Objectives: To investigate in a cluster-randomised trial whether a campaign with oral polio vaccine (C-OPV) reduced mortality and morbidity.

Published research Vaccine Trials Group Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases

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November 2024

The Platform Trial In COVID-19 Priming and BOOsting (PICOBOO): The immunogenicity, reactogenicity, and safety of different COVID-19 vaccinations administered as a second booster

PICOBOO is a randomised, adaptive trial evaluating the immunogenicity, reactogenicity, and safety of COVID-19 booster strategies. We report data for second boosters among individuals 50-<70 years old primed with AZD1222 (50-<70y-AZD1222) until Day 84.

Published research Infectious Disease Implementation Research Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials Group Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease Group COVID-19

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November 2024

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