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Research

Estimating the impact of Western Australia's first respiratory syncytial virus immunisation program for all infants: A mathematical modelling study

The 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.

Research

Postsepsis Care Needs in Children and Families: Single-Center, Codesign Qualitative Research from Western Australia

Sepsis, for children and their parents, is a life-altering illness with far-reaching psychosocial and physical impacts. We aimed to explore the needs of such patients and their parents after hospital admission for sepsis to inform the development of a Western Australian postsepsis care service.  

Research

Management and outcomes of children hospitalised with COVID-19 including incidental and nosocomial infections in Australia 2020–2023: A national surveillance study

Management 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).

Research

Pediatric Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia: Clinical Spectrum and Predictors of Poor Outcome

Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of bacteremia, yet the epidemiology and predictors of poor outcome remain inadequately defined in childhood. ISAIAH (Invasive Staphylococcus aureus Infections and Hospitalizations in children) is a prospective, cross-sectional study of S. aureus bacteremia in children hospitalized in Australia and New Zealand over 24 months.

Research

Emerging elements of paediatric post-sepsis care programs: A scoping review

Sepsis is a significant cause of mortality for children in Australia, particularly affecting young children, those with pre-existing health conditions and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations. The transition from hospital to home can be challenging for survivors, often leaving long-term impacts unaddressed.

News & Events

WA Government launches ‘game-changing’ nasal influenza vaccine program for kids

Western Australian kids will have access to a needle-free nasal flu vaccine for the first time in 2026 as part of a new initiative to boost vaccination rates against the life-threatening virus.

News & Events

Whooping Cough Day marks 10 years of vaccine advocacy efforts for Catherine Hughes AM

Whooping Cough Day in 2025 has a special significance to Catherine Hughes AM and her family - it marks a decade of dedication to vaccine advocacy after the loss of their four-week-old baby son Riley in 2015.

Research

Neonatal and infant mortality after maternal influenza and pertussis vaccination: Probabilistically linked cohort study

Maternal influenza and pertussis vaccination is an important strategy to reduce morbidity and mortality in infants. Previous vaccine safety studies have mostly focused on the association between maternal vaccination and fetal death.

Research

Invasive mould infection in children – advances made or obstacles remaining?

Invasive mould infection (IMI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised children. Outcomes for paediatric patients with IMI remain poor, due in part to the limitations of available diagnostic tools and therapeutic agents.

Research

“Our kids are our future”: Barriers and facilitators to vaccine uptake and timeliness among Aboriginal children younger than five years in Boorloo (Perth), Western Australia

Rates 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).