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The impact of new universal child influenza programs in Australia: Vaccine coverage, effectiveness and disease epidemiology in hospitalised children in 2018A significant reduction in severe influenza was observed in Australian children, possibly contributed to by improved vaccine coverage and high vaccine effectiveness
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Improving Vaccine-Induced Immunity: Can Baseline Predict Outcome?Baseline signatures might contribute to identifying interventional targets to be modulated prior to vaccination in order to improve vaccination responses
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Influenza vaccine effectiveness in preventing influenza-associated hospitalizations during pregnancy: A multi-country retrospective test negative design study, 2010–2016Between 2010 and 2016, influenza vaccines offered moderate protection against laboratory-confirmed influenza-associated hospitalizations during pregnancy
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A place for neutrophils in the beneficial pathogen-agnostic effects of the BCG vaccineThe BCG vaccine has long been recognized for reducing the risk to suffer from infectious diseases unrelated to its target disease, tuberculosis. Evidence from human trials demonstrate substantial reductions in all-cause mortality, especially in the first week of life. Observational studies have identified an association between BCG vaccination and reduced risk of respiratory infectious disease and clinical malaria later in childhood.
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Examining prescribing, timeliness and data recording of immunisations onto a national electronic immunisation register for inpatients at a tertiary paediatric hospitalThe aim of this study was to investigate the quality and adherence of inpatient immunisation prescribing, as well as timeliness and recording of immunisations onto the national immunisation register, within a tertiary paediatric hospital setting. We conducted an observational, retrospective review of inpatient immunisations at Perth Children’s Hospital from July 2018 to February 2019.
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Vaccine coverage in children born to migrant mothers in Australia: A population-based cohort studyOverall, infant immunisation coverage is currently >90% in Australia, but there are pockets of under-immunised children including children from migrant backgrounds.
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Immunisation with the BCG and DTPw vaccines induces different programs of trained immunity in miceIn addition to providing pathogen-specific immunity, vaccines can also confer nonspecific effects (NSEs) on mortality and morbidity unrelated to the targeted disease. Immunisation with live vaccines, such as the BCG vaccine, has generally been associated with significantly reduced all-cause infant mortality. In contrast, some inactivated vaccines, such as the diphtheria, tetanus, whole-cell pertussis (DTPw) vaccine, have been controversially associated with increased all-cause mortality especially in female infants in high-mortality settings.
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COVID-19 and changes in the National Immunisation Program: a unique opportunity to optimise the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR)Christopher Blyth MBBS (Hons) DCH FRACP FRCPA PhD Centre Head, Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases; Co-Head, Infectious Diseases
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BCG vaccination to reduce the impact of COVID-19 in healthcare workers: Protocol for a randomised controlled trial (BRACE trial)BCG vaccination modulates immune responses to unrelated pathogens. This off-target effect could reduce the impact of emerging pathogens. As a readily available, inexpensive intervention that has a well-established safety profile, BCG is a good candidate for protecting healthcare workers (HCWs) and other vulnerable groups against COVID-19.
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The short term safety of COVID-19 vaccines in Australia: AusVaxSafety active surveillance, February – August 2021To assess the short term safety of the COVID-19 vaccines Comirnaty (Pfizer–BioNTech BNT162b2) and Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca ChAdOx1) in Australia.