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Research
Surveillance of avian influenza through bird guano in remote regions of the global south to uncover transmission dynamicsAvian influenza viruses (AIVs) pose a growing global health threat, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where limited surveillance capacity and under-resourced healthcare systems hinder timely detection and response. Migratory birds play a significant role in the transboundary spread of AIVs, yet data from key regions along migratory flyways remain sparse. To address these surveillance gaps, we conducted a study between December 2021 and February 2023 using fresh bird guano collected across 10 countries in the Global South.
Research
The relationship between administratively recorded ethnicity and outcomes for people admitted to Australian intensive care units with COVID-19The relationship between ethnicity and mortality of patients critically ill with COVID-19 in Australia has not been described. Defining those communities at the highest risk of severe COVID-19 may assist with formulating effective public health policy and may improve the equitable delivery of health care in Australia.
Research
How immunity shapes the long-term dynamics of influenza H3N2Since its emergence in 1968, influenza A H3N2 has caused yearly epidemics in temperate regions. While infection confers immunity against antigenically similar strains, new antigenically distinct strains that evade existing immunity regularly emerge ('antigenic drift'). Immunity at the individual level is complex, depending on an individual's lifetime infection history.
Research
Haemophilus influenzae remains the predominant otitis media pathogen in Australian children undergoing ventilation tube insertion in the PCV13 eraUnderstanding 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.
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Effectiveness of 2023 southern hemisphere influenza vaccines against severe influenza-associated illness: pooled estimates from eight countries using the test-negative designAnnual estimates of seasonal influenza vaccine effectiveness can guide global risk communication and vaccination strategies to mitigate influenza-associated illness. We aimed to evaluate vaccine effectiveness in countries using the 2023 southern hemisphere influenza vaccine formulation.
News & Events
Flu jab for school kids best defence from virus, experts sayUp to 40,000 influenza cases could be prevented in Western Australia this winter if more primary school-aged children were vaccinated, researchers at The Kids Research Institute Australia have found.
News & Events
Flu study gives vital early protection to bubs this winterThe FluBub Study will investigate whether giving the flu vaccine much earlier than the six months currently recommended by the National Immunisation Program will protect babies at the greatest risk of a severe influenza infection when they are most vulnerable.
Research
Reactogenicity of two 2010 trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine formulations in adultsThe objective of this tudy was to assess the reactogenicity of two 2010 trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) formulations among adults, including...
Research
Pandemic influenza H1N1 2009 infection in Victoria, AustraliaConflicting findings regarding the level of protection offered by seasonal influenza vaccination against pandemic influenza H1N1 have been reported.
Research
Immunogenicity and safety of a combined Haemophilus influenzae type b-NeisseriaNeisseria meningitidis serogroups B, C, and Y cause most meningococcal disease in industrialized countries...