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“Our kids are our future”: Barriers and facilitators to vaccine uptake and timeliness among Aboriginal children younger than five years in Boorloo (Perth), Western AustraliaRates of several vaccine preventable diseases, and associated hospitalisation, are higher among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children than non-Indigenous children. Western Australia has among the lowest childhood vaccine coverage in Australia, particularly among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children. Delayed vaccination is also more common in this population. This project aimed to understand the barriers and facilitators to vaccine uptake and timeliness among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children aged under five years in Boorloo (Perth).
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Management and outcomes of children hospitalised with COVID-19 including incidental and nosocomial infections in Australia 2020–2023: A national surveillance studyManagement and outcomes of children hospitalised with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection may differ throughout the pandemic or with admission type (clinical COVID-19, incidental COVID-19 or nosocomial infection).
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The inequitable burden of infectious diseases among remote-living Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: a product of historyAlthough Streptococcus pyogenes (Strep A) is the sixth-most common infectious disease globally, its transmission within the household remains an understudied driver of infection. We undertook a systematic review to better understand the transmission of Strep A among people within the home, while highlighting opportunities for prevention.
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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.
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The mark of success: The role of vaccine-induced skin scar formation for BCG and smallpox vaccine-associated clinical benefitsSkin scar formation following Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) or smallpox (Vaccinia) vaccination is an established marker of successful vaccination and 'vaccine take'. Potent pathogen-specific (tuberculosis; smallpox) and pathogen-agnostic (protection from diseases unrelated to the intentionally targeted pathogen) effects of BCG and smallpox vaccines hold significant translational potential.
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Challenges in the case-based surveillance of infectious diseasesTo effectively inform infectious disease control strategies, accurate knowledge of the pathogen's transmission dynamics is required. Since the timings of infections are rarely known, estimates of the infection incidence, which is crucial for understanding the transmission dynamics, often rely on measurements of other quantities amenable to surveillance.
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The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies in Australian children: A crosssectional studyFollowing reduction of public health and social measures concurrent with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron emergence in late 2021 in Australia, COVID-19 case notification rates rose rapidly. As rates of direct viral testing and reporting dropped, true infection rates were most likely to be underestimated.
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Antecedent and persistent symptoms in COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses: Insights from prospectively collected data in the BRACE trialSome individuals have a persistence of symptoms following both COVID-19 (post-acute COVID-19 syndrome; PACS) and other viral infections. This study used prospectively collected data from an international trial to compare symptoms following COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 respiratory illness, to identify factors associated with the risk of PACS, and to explore symptom patterns before and after COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 respiratory illnesses.
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Impact of Parent-Reported Antibiotic Allergies on Pediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship ProgramsAntimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is crucial for optimizing antimicrobial use and restraining emergence of antimicrobial resistance. The overall increase in reported antibiotic allergies in children can pose a significant barrier to AMS, but its impact on clinical AMS care in children has not been addressed.
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International links between Streptococcus pneumoniae vaccine serotype 4 sequence type (ST) 801 in Northern European shipyard outbreaks of invasive pneumococcal diseasePneumococcal disease outbreaks of vaccine preventable serotype 4 sequence type (ST)801 in shipyards have been reported in several countries. We aimed to use genomics to establish any international links between them.