Search
Maternal influenza and pertussis vaccination is an important strategy to reduce morbidity and mortality in infants. Previous vaccine safety studies have mostly focused on the association between maternal vaccination and fetal death.
Invasive mould infection (IMI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised children. Outcomes for paediatric patients with IMI remain poor, due in part to the limitations of available diagnostic tools and therapeutic agents.
Rates of several vaccine preventable diseases, and associated hospitalisation, are higher among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children than non-Indigenous children. Western Australia has among the lowest childhood vaccine coverage in Australia, particularly among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children. Delayed vaccination is also more common in this population. This project aimed to understand the barriers and facilitators to vaccine uptake and timeliness among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children aged under five years in Boorloo (Perth).
Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) is the most common cause of childhood sepsis contributing to pediatric intensive care unit admission. The cost of adult SAB hospitalization is well described globally, but limited costing information is available for children. To bridge this knowledge gap, we investigated the cost of hospitalization in children with SAB in Australia.
Despite vaccination, influenza and otitis media (OM) remain leading causes of illness. We previously found that the human respiratory commensal Haemophilus haemolyticus prevents bacterial infection in vitro and that the related murine commensal Muribacter muris delays OM development in mice. The observation that M muris pretreatment reduced lung influenza titer and inflammation suggests that these bacteria could be exploited for protection against influenza/OM.
Research reveals that friendly bacteria may help reduce flu symptoms, offering new insights into potential treatments and enhancing our understanding of immune health.
Understanding patterns of bacterial carriage and otitis media (OM) microbiology is crucial for assessing vaccine impact and informing policy. The microbiology of OM can vary with geography, time, and interventions like pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs). We evaluated the microbiology of nasopharyngeal and middle ear effusions in children living in Western Australia, 11 years following the introduction of PCV13.
Many parents may be feeling anxious and confused about what COVID-19 means for pregnant women, babies and children.
Dr Janessa Pickering is a research microbiologist with expertise in the molecular diagnostics and host pathogen interactions of upper respiratory tract pathogens that cause disease in children.
Program Manager