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Vaccines have generally been developed with limited insight into their molecular impact. While systems vaccinology enables characterization of mechanisms of action, these tools have yet to be applied to infants, who are at high risk of infection and receive the most vaccines. Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) protects infants against disseminated tuberculosis (TB) and TB-unrelated infections via incompletely understood mechanisms.
Pneumonia is a leading cause of childhood mortality with Streptococcus pneumoniae a major contributor. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) have been introduced into immunisation programs in many low- to middle-income countries yet there is a paucity of data evaluating the effectiveness in these settings. We assess the effectiveness of 13-valent PCV against hypoxic pneumonia, hospitalisation and other clinical endpoints in children <5 years living in Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea).
Protection of newborns from infection can be achieved through maternal or vaccine-induced antibodies, but the factors influencing vaccine protection (correlate of protection) and subsequent infant immunity remain insufficiently understood. Further investigation is essential to optimize early-life vaccination strategies.
The pathogenesis of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is poorly understood, limiting the development of immune-modulating therapies to treat disease and prevent progressive heart damage. Here, participants with definite ARF were compared to other severe acute paediatric conditions and matched healthy controls by profiling circulating immune molecules and cells to inform disease mechanisms and potential druggable pathways.
Intramuscular (IM) injection of benzathine benzylpenicillin G (BPG) forms the cornerstone of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) secondary prophylaxis. BPG is available as either a low-cost powdered formulation or a costlier pre-filled suspension. Most of the global RHD burden lies in low- and middle-income countries, which rely on the powdered formulation.
This study adapts the Multiple Streams Framework (MSF) to explore why COVID-19 vaccine mandates were applied at sectoral and subnational levels in Vietnam while the central government maintained that vaccination was voluntary. Document analysis reveals that these mandates arose from the effective coupling of the three streams—problem, policy, and politics—in a setting of authoritarian rule, where the streams function differently (and more uniformly) compared to democratic contexts.
As we finalised our analysis of the adoption of mandatory policies for childhood vaccines in four high-income jurisdictions for our publication, “Convergence on Coercion,” every country on earth was grappling with how to drive uptake of COVID-19 vaccines.
A series of The Kids Research Institute Australia studies looking at safety for Meningococcal ACWY vaccines in children has led the way for its use in Australia.
Are you pregnant or planning to have a baby? There are important vaccinations that you should consider to protect your health and the health of your baby.
Consumers and community members are invited to join us to provide input into our childhood infectious diseases research.