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Pneumococcal – a bacterial infection that can cause pneumonia and meningitis – is responsible for 1000s of hospital admissions in Australia each year, many of them children.
Research
Plasma adenosine deaminase-1 and -2 activities are lower at birth in Papua New Guinea than in The Gambia but converge over the first weeks of lifeDynamic cellular and molecular adaptations in early life significantly impact health and disease. Upon birth, newborns are immediately challenged by their environment, placing urgent demands on the infant immune system.
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FeBRILe3: Risk-Stratification and Diagnosis of Serious Bacterial Infections in Febrile Infants Less Than 3 Months OldEvidence-based recommendations exist for early discharge (before 48 h) of young infants with fever without source (FWS) at low risk of serious bacterial infections (SBIs). However, concerns regarding the applicability of international data to local contexts may hinder implementation. We aimed to describe the local epidemiology of FWS and evaluate a newly implemented risk-stratification guideline to support practice change.
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Estimating the true number of people with acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease from two data sources using capture-recapture methodologyIn Australia, accurate case ascertainment of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) diagnoses for disease surveillance and control purposes requires the use of multiple data sources, including RHD registers and hospitalisation records. Despite drawing on multiple data sources, the true burden of ARF/RHD is likely to be underestimated.
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Risk of otitis media in offspring following maternal prenatal stress exposureThere is limited but consistent evidence that suggests prenatal factors, including maternal stress, may contribute to susceptibility for otitis media. We aimed to determine the effect of multiple life stress events during pregnancy on risk of acute and recurrent otitis media in offspring at three and five years of age.
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Breastfeeding and Neonatal Age Influence Neutrophil-Driven Ontogeny of Blood Cell Populations in the First Week of Human LifeThe first few days of life are characterized by rapid external and internal changes that require substantial immune system adaptations. Despite growing evidence of the impact of this period on lifelong immune health, this period remains largely uncharted.
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Molecular analysis of human tick-bitten skin yields signatures associated with distinct spatial and temporal trajectories - A proof-of-concept studyTick-associated diseases present challenges due to tridirectional interactions among host-specific responses, tick toxins and salivary proteins as well as microbes. We aimed to uncover molecular mechanisms in tick-bitten skin samples and contralateral skin samples collected simultaneously from the same participants, using spatial transcriptomics.
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National pharmacovigilance of seasonal influenza vaccines in AustraliaCitation: O'Moore M, Jones B, Hickie M, …….. Marsh JA, Wood N. National pharmacovigilance of seasonal influenza vaccines in Australia. Med J Aust.
The Vaccine Trials Group was formed in March 1999 to provide a coordinated approach to the development, delivery, assessment and promotion of vaccines.

We are looking for healthy young adults to take part in a study that will help us learn more about a new pertussis vaccine that we hope will offer greater protection from whooping cough.