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Research
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines PREVenar13 and SynflorIX in sequence or alone in high-risk indigenous infants (PREV-IX-COMBO)Otitis media (OM) starts within weeks of birth in almost all Indigenous infants living in remote areas of the Northern Territory (NT).
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Effectiveness of a 3 + 0 pneumococcal conjugate vaccine schedule against invasive pneumococcal disease among a birth cohort of 1.4 million children in AustraliaOur population-based cohort study demonstrates that >90% coverage in the first year of a universal 3 + 0 PCV program provided high population-level protection
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Utility of auscultatory screening for detecting rheumatic heart disease in high-risk children in Australia's Northern TerritorySensitivity and positive predictive value of cardiac auscultation compared with echocardiography is poor, regardless of the expertise of the auscultator.
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Diverging Trends in Gastroenteritis Hospitalizations during Two Decades in Western Australian Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal ChildrenOur findings highlight the need to consider age, ethnicity, seasonality and climate when evaluating rotavirus vaccine programs.
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Use of data linkage to investigate the aetiology of acute lower respiratory infection hospitalisations in childrenThe aim was to document the aetiology of acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) hospitalisations in Western Australian children
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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.
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Widening the lens for pandemic preparedness: children must be seen and heardThe Australian and New Zealand Paediatric Infectious Diseases (ANZPID) Group of the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases (ASID) calls for urgent consideration of the needs and voices of children in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in planning for future pandemics.
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Efficacy thresholds and target populations for antiviral COVID-19 treatments to save lives and costs: a modelling studyIn 2023 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was declared endemic, yet hospital admissions have persisted and risen within populations at high and moderate risk of developing severe disease, which include those of older age, and those with co-morbidities. Antiviral treatments, currently only available for high-risk individuals, play an important role in preventing severe disease and hospitalisation within this subpopulation.
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A digital intervention to support childhood cognition after the COVID-19 pandemic: a pilot trialDifficulties in executive functioning (EF) can result in impulsivity, forgetfulness, and inattention. Children living in remote/regional communities are particularly at risk of impairment in these cognitive skills due to reduced educational engagement and poorer access to interventions. This vulnerability has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and strategies are needed to mitigate long-term negative impacts on EF.
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Estimating the impact of Western Australia's first respiratory syncytial virus immunisation program for all infants: A mathematical modelling studyThe Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration approved the use of nirsevimab, a long-acting monoclonal antibody for the prevention of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), in November 2023. Western Australia (WA) implemented a combination of nirsevimab administration strategies designed to protect all infants starting in April 2024, before the epidemic season. We developed a dynamic transmission model to predict the impact of WA's RSV immunisation program on infant hospitalisations.