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The Emerging Omicron Variant, Children and School

Many publications have demonstrated the detrimental effects of school closures on children, families and communities in the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, there is a surge of Omicron cases as children prepare to return to school around the world. While many children are asymptomatic or have mild disease, it is nevertheless an important problem.

Time-out for well-being: A mixed methods evaluation of attitudes and likelihood to engage in different types of online emotional well-being programmes in the perinatal period

Positive maternal mental health during the perinatal period contributes to general well-being and positive emotional bonds with the child, encouraging an optimal developmental trajectory. Online interventions to enhance maternal well-being and develop coping skills, such as meditation-based interventions, can be a low-cost way to improve mother and child outcomes.

A study protocol for community implementation of a new mental health monitoring system spanning early childhood to young adulthood

Findings from longitudinal research, globally, repeatedly emphasise the importance of a taking an early life course approach to mental health promotion; one that invests in the formative years of development, from early childhood to young adulthood, just prior to the transition to parenthood for most. While population monitoring systems have been developed for this period, they are typically designed for use within discrete stages.

Reliability of Fitness Assessments in Children With Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties

Examine the reliability of field-based fitness assessments in school-aged children with emotional or behavioral difficulties (EBD). Understanding the impact of fitness on physical activity participation for children with EBD is limited by our ability to reliably measure it.

A phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, active-comparator-controlled study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of a 4-dose regimen of V114, a 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, in healthy infants (PNEU-PED)

Pneumococcal disease (PD) remains a major health concern with considerable morbidity and mortality in children. Currently licensed pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) confer protection against PD caused by most vaccine serotypes, but non-vaccine serotypes contribute to residual disease. V114 is a 15-valent PCV containing all 13 serotypes in Prevnar 13™ (PCV13) and additional serotypes 22F and 33F. This pivotal phase 3 study compared safety and immunogenicity of V114 and PCV13.

“He Sees his Autism as a Strength, Not a Deficit Now”: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study Investigating the Impact of Strengths-Based Programs on Autistic Adolescents

Recent studies have reported that strengths-based programs, leveraging autistic adolescents' abilities and interests, could improve their skills and facilitate social engagement. However, little is known about the long-term impact of strengths-based approaches. This study aimed to explore the long-term outcomes of community strengths-based programs designed to support autistic adolescents in developing interests and skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) and the factors influencing their participation in these programs.

End-user acceptability of personal protective equipment disinfection for potential reuse: a survey of health-care workers in Aotearoa New Zealand

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted personal protective equipment (PPE) supply, distribution, and disposal issues worldwide. Calls to conserve PPE stocks and increase supply resulted in the rapid development of potential disinfection methods, with the possibility of improvements in medical waste reduction. However, how receptive health-care workers are to PPE reuse remains unknown. We aimed to examine the views of health-care workers who used PPE during the first COVID-19 wave in Aotearoa New Zealand, in relation to acceptability of PPE disinfection and reuse.

Australian guidelines for the management of children with achondroplasia

Achondroplasia is the most common form of skeletal dysplasia. In addition to altered growth, children and young people with achondroplasia may experience medical complications, develop and function differently to others and require psychosocial support. International, European and American consensus guidelines have been developed for the management of achondroplasia. The Australian focused guidelines presented here are designed to complement those existing guidelines.

Models of school breakfast program implementation in Western Australia and the implications for supporting disadvantaged students

A substantial body of literature points to the educational and social benefits of school breakfast programs. Most high-income countries provide free or subsidized school breakfasts to support disadvantaged children. Australia does not have a nationally-funded school meal program. Instead, charitable organizations offer school breakfast programs on a voluntary basis, often with funding support from state/territory governments.

Correlates of immunity to Group A Streptococcus: a pathway to vaccine development

Understanding immunity in humans to Group A Streptococcus (Strep A) is critical for the development of successful vaccines to prevent the morbidity and mortality attributed to Strep A infections. Despite decades of effort, no licensed vaccine against Strep A exists and immune correlates of protection are lacking; a major impediment to vaccine development.