Skip to content
The Kids Research Institute Australia logo
Donate

No results yet

Search

News & Events

Vaccine surveillance brings safety reassurance

In 2010, a large number of children experienced febrile convulsions after receiving the FluVax vaccination and many parents began to question its safety.

News & Events

Time running out to prepare for flu season

People are being urged to ensure they've had their vaccination with the 'flu season expected to hit in Western Australia within weeks.

News & Events

Australian parents oblivious to true danger of the flu

New research investigating the devastating impact of the 2017 flu season by PAEDS-FluCAN, a national collaboration observing influenza in children, confirmed it was time to take action after thousands of children were hospitalised with the virus last year.

News & Events

Institute celebrates eradication of rubella in Australia

The eradication of rubella in Australia is evidence of the vital role vaccinations play in protecting our health, researchers at The Kids Research Institute Australia say.

Research

World Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases calls for action to ensure fair prices for vaccines

The eradication of smallpox is considered one of the greatest achievements of humankind, thanks to vaccination. The widespread availability of childhood vaccines has substantially reduced childhood morbidity and mortality. Devastating infections, such as polio, have almost disappeared due to vaccination. In 2021, it was estimated that vaccination against ten selected pathogens will have averted 69 million deaths between 2000 and 2030. Increases in vaccine coverage and introduction of additional vaccines should reduce lifetime mortality by 72% in the 2019 birth cohort. However, access to vaccines that prevent life-threatening and disabling infectious diseases remains unequal.

Research

Immunogenicity, reactogenicity, and IgE-mediated immune responses of a mixed whole-cell and acellular pertussis vaccine schedule in Australian infants: A randomised, double-blind, noninferiority trial

In many countries, infant vaccination with acellular pertussis (aP) vaccines has replaced use of more reactogenic whole-cell pertussis (wP) vaccines. Based on immunological and epidemiological evidence, we hypothesised that substituting the first aP dose in the routine vaccination schedule with wP vaccine might protect against IgE-mediated food allergy. We aimed to compare reactogenicity, immunogenicity, and IgE-mediated responses of a mixed wP/aP primary schedule versus the standard aP-only schedule.

Research

Short-Term Active Safety Surveillance of the Spikevax and Nuvaxovid Priming Doses in Australia

Australia commenced administration of the Spikevax (Moderna mRNA-1273) COVID-19 vaccine in August 2021 and Nuvaxovid (Novavax NVX-CoV2373) in January 2022. This study describes the short-term safety profile of priming doses of the Spikevax and Nuvaxovid vaccines given between September 2021 and September 2023. 

Research

Facilitating knowledge transfer during Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout: an examination of ‘Functional Dialogues’ as an approach to bridge the evidence–policy gap

Our interdisciplinary team initiated a project to inform the COVID-19 vaccination programme. We developed a novel research co-creation approach to share emerging findings with government. 

Research

Erratum: Attitudes, perceptions, and experiences of Western Australians towards vaccine safety surveillance systems following COVID-19 vaccines: A qualitative descriptive study (Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health (2024) 48(1), (S132602002

Concerns regarding adverse events following immunisation are a barrier to vaccine uptake. Health professionals use vaccine safety surveillance systems (VSSS) to monitor vaccines and inform the public of safety data. With little known about public attitudes, perceptions, and experiences with VSSS, we examined them in the context of COVID-19 vaccinations in Western Australia.

Research

Per Os to Protection – Targeting the Oral Route to Enhance Immune-mediated Protection from Disease of the Human Newborn

Valerie Verhasselt MD, PhD Head, Immunology and Breastfeeding 0402997617 Valerie.verhasselt@thekids.org.au Head, Immunology and Breastfeeding @