Authors:
Moreland NJ, Waddington CS, Williamson DA, Sriskandan S, ... , Carapetis J, Fraser, JD
Authors notes:
Vaccine.
Keywords:
epidemiology, M protein, rheumatic fever, Streptococcus pyogenes, vaccine
Abstract:
Group A Streptococcus (GAS) infections represent a major public health burden in both developing and developed countries.
In Australia and New Zealand GAS associated diseases are serious problems in Indigenous populations and a major cause of health inequality.
Political recognition of these inequalities is providing impetus for strategies that reduce GAS disease and the development of a GAS vaccine now has governmental support in both Australia and New Zealand.
Accordingly, an expert workshop was convened in March 2013 to consider available data on GAS vaccines.
M-protein based vaccines constructed from the hyper-variable N-terminal region (30-valent vaccine) or the conserved C-repeat domain (J8 vaccine) were reviewed together with vaccine candidates identified using multi high-throughput approaches.
Performing a comprehensive assessment of regional GAS strain epidemiology, defining the immune correlates of protection, and the establishment of clinical trial sites were identified as critical activities for a Trans-Tasman vaccine development programme.