Informing Vaccination Strategies For Pregnant Women Through Linked Population Health Data
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
Vaccination during pregnancy has health benefits for mothers and their infants; however, it is a relatively new area of research, and the immediate and long-term consequences for children are currently not well understood. As part of this fellowship, I plan to conduct research into the long-term health impacts of vaccination during pregnancy. This fellowship will build my career as a perinatal epidemiologist and establish expertise in Australia related to vaccines given during pregnancy.
Can E-Health Improve Post-marketing Surveillance Of Drugs And Vaccines? The Stimulated Telephone Assisted Rapid Safety Surveillance (STARSS) Randomised Controlled Trial.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$445,368.00
Summary
Despite the considerable benefits of vaccination there is public concern about the safety of newly introduced or seasonal influenza vaccines. Loss of confidence in vaccine safety can result in decreased vaccine coverage and resurgence of disease. The current system of monitoring vaccines after licensure is unable to detect all important adverse events following immunisation. The proposed study evaluates web based communication and mobile phone text messaging to identify adverse events following ....Despite the considerable benefits of vaccination there is public concern about the safety of newly introduced or seasonal influenza vaccines. Loss of confidence in vaccine safety can result in decreased vaccine coverage and resurgence of disease. The current system of monitoring vaccines after licensure is unable to detect all important adverse events following immunisation. The proposed study evaluates web based communication and mobile phone text messaging to identify adverse events following immunisation.Read moreRead less
Links2HealthierBubs: Influenza And Pertussis Vaccine Effectiveness And Safety In Pregnancy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$676,333.00
Summary
Vaccination during pregnancy can offer protection against severe respiratory disease for infants in the first six months of life. For this reason, influenza and pertussis vaccines are routinely recommended during each pregnancy. Unfortunately, little is known about the ‘real world’ effect of both vaccines. We plan to conduct the largest and most comprehensive study to date to evaluate all vaccines routinely recommended in pregnancy in Australia.
Preventing And Treating Significant Infections In The Community And In Hospitals
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$328,990.00
Summary
Infections that require hospitalisation are common and a significant event for patients. This research will look at severe influenza and define how protective the influenza vaccination is against hospitalisation. It will also look at preventing healthcare associated infections and in particular those involving antibiotic resistant "superbugs".
Diseases caused by the pneumococcus represent the largest cause of vaccine preventable death in the world today, mainly pneumonia and meningitis. In 2011, 16 developing countries will introduce pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, none in east Asia. Lack of research has been a major barrier to their use in the region. We have established an international centre of excellence in the field and we seek support to extend the capacity of this group and to transfer the technology to Vietnam.
Best Practice For The Communication Of Perinatal Booster Recommendations And Optimisation Of The Cocooning Strategy.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$111,630.00
Summary
Whooping cough continues to be common in Australia. Young babies, who have little or no protection to the infection, are often hospitalised and can die. Adults generally experience milder symptoms which often go undiagnosed and can pass on whooping cough to babies, particularly within the home. To reduce this risk by 70%, parents can receive a booster vaccination for whooping cough. Offering this on the postnatal ward will help remove barriers and provide a cocoon of protection for the newborn.
Implementing Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine In Pacific Island Countries
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$181,065.00
Summary
Despite the bacteria, the pneumococcus, being the most common reason why children die from pneumonia worldwide, the uptake of pneumococcal vaccine to prevent this disease has been slow, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. I will work with Pacific governments, the Asia Development Bank Bank, UNICEF and other regional organisations, and health economists to lead the design of the implementation plan of PCV into Pacific island countries.
Evaluation Of New Screening Strategies For Prevention Of Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$251,144.00
Summary
Governments, clinicians and consumers have a need for accurate and up-to-date information about the cost-effectiveness, benefits and harms of cancer screening. This project will evaluate whether further changes to cervical screening will be needed after the release of next generation HPV vaccines, whether new screening programs should be implemented for lung cancer and Lynch syndrome, the potential role of new technologies for bowel screening, and whether prostate testing can be improved.
Comparative Effectiveness Research In Childhood Infections To Improve Decision-making In Health Policy And Clinical Practice.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$293,426.00
Summary
Few high quality studies of antibiotics and vaccines in children are done because they are difficult, and because there is little commercial incentive for companies to fund them. This has slowed the development of better ways to treat and prevent infections, including those which are most important for Aboriginal children. I will address this need by doing high quality studies of new treatments and vaccines in children in a way that will facilitate their rapid adoption into practice.
Immunogenicity Of 23-valent Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccination Among Indigenous Australian Adolescents And Adults
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$674,738.00
Summary
Multiple doses of pneumococcal vaccine are recommended for Indigenous Australians under a unique schedule aimed at reducing high rates of pneumococcal disease. However, disease rates have not reduced after several years of the program. This study examines a key, previously unstudied explanation for the lack of disease reduction in this population: that repeated vaccination could produce suboptimal protection against disease. It will provide evidence to underpin future vaccination policy.