Samantha Carlson
Senior Research Officer
BSc MPH PhD
samantha.carlson@telethonkids.org.au
Dr Carlson is an early career mixed-methods social researcher based at The Kids Research Institute Australia, leading and designing research that seeks to understand how to improve access to and understanding about vaccination. Dr Carlson holds a PhD from The University of Sydney on Attitudes about and access to influenza vaccination in Australia: experiences of parents of children hospitalised for acute respiratory infection. Currently, Dr Carlson is leading and collaborating on projects that seek to improve routine vaccine uptake in Aboriginal children in Perth metropolitan (a project called Moort Vax Waangkiny) as well as all children in regional and remote Western Australia.
As an early career researcher, Dr Carlson has already made a significant contribution to the field, both nationally and internationally. This has been recognised through receipt of The Kids Research Institute Australia ‘Illuminate Award’ in 2022. Dr Carlson’s work has informed Australian resources about immunisation, such as the Commonwealth Department of Health’s Questions about Vaccination booklet, the Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation influenza resources, the NSW Health ‘winter wellness’ campaigns, and information developed for health care providers about vaccines. She also developed factsheets about COVID-19 vaccination and diseases, which led to the development of The Kids Research Institute Australia’s ‘COVID-19 Resource Hub.’ Her work has also informed COVID-19 and influenza vaccination programs in Australia, and through her consultancy work with the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, she led the development of the operational guidance of acceptance and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in Europe. She has also assisted with work that sought to understand reasons for low childhood vaccine uptake in various European countries.
Projects
The STAMP RSV Program
STAMP-RSV is guided by a community reference group with lived experiences of RSV. The goal is to translate research findings into effective and efficient RSV control policies to reduce the health and economic burden of RSV.
July 2024
Moort Vax Waangkiny: Understanding reasons for routine vaccine uptake among Aboriginal children aged <5 years in Perth (Boorloo) metro
Aboriginal children aged younger than 5 years in Perth (Boorloo) have lower vaccine uptake compared to non-Aboriginal children.
Published research
What happens at two? Immunisation stakeholders’ perspectives on factors influencing sub-optimal childhood vaccine uptake for toddlers in regional and remote Western Australia
In Western Australia (WA), children aged 24 months living regionally or remotely (non-urban) have suboptimal vaccine uptake. As there has not yet been a systematic approach to understanding the facilitators and barriers to childhood vaccination in regional and remote WA, this study aimed to understand the views of key immunisation stakeholders regarding barriers and solutions.
Erratum: Attitudes, perceptions, and experiences of Western Australians towards vaccine safety surveillance systems following COVID-19 vaccines: A qualitative descriptive study (Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health (2024) 48(1), (S132602002
Concerns regarding adverse events following immunisation are a barrier to vaccine uptake. Health professionals use vaccine safety surveillance systems (VSSS) to monitor vaccines and inform the public of safety data. With little known about public attitudes, perceptions, and experiences with VSSS, we examined them in the context of COVID-19 vaccinations in Western Australia.
Changing rules, recommendations, and risks: COVID-19 vaccination decisions and emotions during pregnancy
As COVID-19 vaccinations rolled out globally from late 2020, rules and recommendations regarding vaccine use in pregnancy shifted rapidly. Pre-registration COVID-19 vaccine trials excluded those who were pregnant. Initial Australian medical advice did not routinely recommend COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancy, due to limited safety data and little perceived risk of local transmission.
Randomised controlled trials of behavioural nudges delivered through text messages to increase influenza and COVID-19 vaccines among pregnant women (the EPIC study): study protocol
Influenza and COVID-19 infections during pregnancy may have serious adverse consequences for women as well as their infants. However, uptake of influenza and COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy remains suboptimal. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a multi-component nudge intervention to improve influenza and COVID-19 vaccine uptake among pregnant women.
Developmental origins of psycho-cardiometabolic multimorbidity in adolescence and their underlying pathways through methylation markers: a two-cohort study
Understanding the biological mechanisms behind multimorbidity patterns in adolescence is important as they may act as intermediary risk factor for long-term health. We aimed to explore relationship between prenatal exposures and adolescent's psycho-cardiometabolic intermediary traits mediated through epigenetic biomarkers, using structural equation modeling (SEM).
Nudging towards COVID-19 and influenza vaccination uptake in medically at-risk children: EPIC study protocol of randomised controlled trials in Australian paediatric outpatient clinics
Children with chronic medical diseases are at an unacceptable risk of hospitalisation and death from influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections. Over the past two decades, behavioural scientists have learnt how to design non-coercive 'nudge' interventions to encourage positive health behaviours. Our study aims to evaluate the impact of multicomponent nudge interventions on the uptake of COVID-19 and influenza vaccines in medically at-risk children.
Parental awareness and attitudes towards prevention of respiratory syncytial virus in infants and young children in Australia
To assess parental awareness of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and the level of acceptance of future RSV prevention strategies. A cross-sectional online survey was implemented targeting "future" and "current" parents of children aged ≤5 years in Australia.
The collaboration on social science and immunisation (COSSI): Global lessons from a successful Australian research and practice network
Attitudes, perceptions, and experiences of Western Australians towards vaccine safety surveillance systems following COVID-19 vaccines: A qualitative descriptive study
Concerns regarding adverse events following immunisation are a barrier to vaccine uptake. Health professionals use vaccine safety surveillance systems (VSSSs) to monitor vaccines and inform the public of safety data. With little known about public attitudes, perceptions, and experiences with VSSS, we examined them in the context of COVID-19 vaccinations in Western Australia.
"Fighting the pandemic!" Western Australian pharmacists' perspectives on COVID-19 vaccines: A qualitative study
In Western Australia, community pharmacists are authorized to administer a range of vaccines without a prescription. Since mid-July 2021, pharmacists can also administer Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. Little is known about how pharmacists think and feel about giving and receiving COVID-19 vaccines and how they discuss it with patients.
West Australian parents’ views on vaccinating their children against COVID-19: a qualitative study
Australian children and adolescents were among the last local cohorts offered COVID-19 vaccines. Despite promising initial uptake, coverage subsequently plateaued, requiring further efforts to improve access and build parents’ recognition of the importance of COVID-19 vaccination.
Education and Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science (Microbiology and Immunobiology), University of Sydney, 2015
- Master of Public Health, University of Sydney, 2016
- Doctor of Philosophy (Medicine), University of Sydney, 2020
Awards/Honours
- 2022 - The Kids Research Institute Australia ‘Illuminate Award’
- 2022 - Commendation Award in Research Impact and Innovation, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia. Awarded to the Coronavax research team
- 2022 - Public Health Association Australia President’s Award. Award to the Collaboration on Social Science and Immunisation (COSSI) committee
Active Collaborations
- Collaboration on Social Science and Immunisation (COSSI) committee
- Chief Investigator on Moort Vax Waangkiny
- Principal Investigator on Coronavax: Preparing Community and Government
- What happens at two?
- Infection Transmission in Early Childhood Education and Care: a mixed methods study to inform future interventions
- Preparing for prevention: Assessing the community awareness of RSV and other childhood infections
- Enhancing Protection against Influenza and COVID-19 for pregnant women and medically at risk children: EPIC Study
- Improving coverage, confidence and knowledge about COVID-19 vaccination among Aboriginal Women of child-bearing age in Western Australia