Investigators: Camilla de Gier, Janessa Pickering, Lea-Ann Kirkham, Peter Richmond, Ruth Thornton
Collaborators: Heidi Smith-Vaughan (Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, NT), Emma Best (Starship Hospital, Auckland), Nikki Mills (Starship Children's Hospital)
We have developed assays that can measure how much of a specific species of bacteria are residing in your nose. Some vaccines for respiratory diseases work by reducing the amount of bacteria in your nose, thereby preventing development of disease and also preventing spread of the bacteria to other people. Using the tests we have established and comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated children, we can determine how well the vaccines are working. This will inform those involved in deciding on the best vaccine to use, and also progress the development of new medicines to further prevent disease.