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News & Events

Western Australia’s biggest and only medical research institute dedicated to improving kids’ health and wellbeing has rebranded to The Kids Research Institute Australia.

The Kids Research Institute Australia's annual report highlights the accomplishments of our researchers, furthering our mission to secure a happier, healthier future for kids everywhere.

At The Kids Research Institute Australia, our vision is simple - happy healthy kids.

News & Events

The major funder of the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases based at The Kids Research Institute Australia has been recognised as Australia’s most generous giver.

News & Events

One of Australia’s leading infectious disease experts, Associate Professor Asha Bowen, has been announced as a finalist for the country’s leading national science awards – the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes.

Research

Vaccination in pregnancy is the best strategy to reduce complications from influenza or pertussis infection in infants who are too young to be protected directly from vaccination. Pregnant women are also at risk of influenza complications preventable through antenatal vaccination. Both vaccines are funded under the National Immunisation Program for pregnant women in Australia, but coverage is not routinely reported nationally. 

Research

As herpes simplex virus in infancy is not a mandatory notifiable condition in Australia, completeness of ascertainment by the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit (APSU) has been difficult to evaluate to date. We evaluated case capture in Queensland and Western Australia using statewide laboratory and clinical data and complementary surveillance data collected via the APSU.

Research

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality for immunocompromised children, particularly for patients with acute leukaemia and those undergoing haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Timely diagnosis, using a combination of computed tomography (CT) imaging and microbiological testing, is key to improve prognosis, yet there are inherent challenges in this process. For CT imaging, changes in children are generally less specific than those reported in adults and recent data are limited.

Research

Pregnant women are 3 times more likely to die from COVID-19 and over 7 times more likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit with influenza compared to non-pregnant women.

News & Events

Up to 40,000 influenza cases could be prevented in Western Australia this winter if more primary school-aged children were vaccinated, researchers at The Kids Research Institute Australia have found.