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Socio-economic inequality and vaccination inequity have long been critical issues. However, no studies have explored the gap in influenza vaccination uptake between public and private schools. Importantly, the extent to which socio-economic inequality translates into vaccination uptake inequity has not been quantified.
High nasopharyngeal pneumococcal carriage density is associated with severe pneumonia; however, little is known about factors that affect pneumococcal carriage density including pneumococcal vaccination. We describe pneumococcal density by clinical and demographic factors, and effect of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) on density in Papua New Guinea (PNG), Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) and Mongolia, 3–6 years following national PCV13 introduction.
Influenza remains an important cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality. Immunisation is critical to prevent hospitalisation and severe disease. The COVID-19 pandemic had far-reaching effects on influenza epidemiology and vaccine use.
Two RSV immunisations products: a maternal vaccine, Abrysvo, and a long-acting monoclonal antibody, nirsevimab, both designed to prevent RSV illness in infants, have recently become available. Modelling evidence is required to inform how to optimally use these products in immunisation programs to reduce the burden of RSV in young children.
Co-Head, Bacterial Respiratory Infectious Disease Group; Microbiology Lead, Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines & Infectious Diseases
Pneumonia is the leading cause of death in young children globally and is prevalent in the Papua New Guinea highlands. We investigated clinical predictors of hypoxic pneumonia to inform local treatment guidelines in this resource-limited setting.
Group A Streptococcus (Strep A) causes a wide spectrum of diseases, ranging from pharyngitis and impetigo to severe invasive infections and immune-mediated conditions such as acute rheumatic fever, rheumatic heart disease and acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis. Contemporary data on the global burden of Strep A diseases are lacking.
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.
Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) is an important cause of long-term childhood disability. In Australia, the identification and treatment practices and the long-term clinical and neurodevelopmental outcomes of children with cCMV are unknown.
There are 117.3 million people forcibly displaced because of war, conflict and natural disasters: 40% are children. With growing numbers, many high-income countries have adopted or are considering increasingly restrictive policies of immigration detention. Research on the impact of detention on mental health has focused on adults, although recent studies report on children.