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Research

Vaccination is the injection of an inactivated bacteria or virus into the body. This simulated infection allows an individual's immune system to develop an adaptive immunity for protection against that type of illness. When a sufficiently large percentage of a population has been vaccinated, this results in herd immunity.

Research

Influenza (commonly known as the flu) is caused by a highly contagious virus spread mainly through coughing and sneezing. An annual flu vaccination is the most effective way to prevent flu outbreaks.

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Whooping cough (pertussis) is a highly contagious respiratory infection which causes a severe cough and can be particularly dangerous to babies under a year old. Vaccination is the best way to reduce the risk of whooping cough.

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Hepatitis B (HBV) prevalence is very high in pregnant women in the Dolpa district of Nepal, a region characterised by a remote geographic landscape and low vaccination coverage. Using mathematical modelling, we evaluated the impact of third-trimester tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) prophylaxis on HBV burden and estimated the time required to achieve HBV elimination in Dolpa. 

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Socio-economic inequality and vaccination inequity have long been critical issues. However, no studies have explored the gap in influenza vaccination uptake between public and private schools. Importantly, the extent to which socio-economic inequality translates into vaccination uptake inequity has not been quantified.

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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global healthcare emergency, directly causing 1.3 million deaths per year and predicted to increase dramatically over the coming decades. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underpinning antibiotic resistance is central to approaches for AMR surveillance and diagnosis in a clinical laboratory.

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Non-coercive 'nudge' interventions have shown the potential to promote health behaviours. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of nudge interventions on COVID-19/influenza vaccine uptake among children with medically at-risk conditions.

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Gram-negative bacterial infections remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children and neonates globally, compounded by the rise of antimicrobial resistance. Barriers to paediatric antibiotic licencing lead to reduced availability of potentially effective agents for treatment. For children and neonates in the Oceania region, specific challenges remain including a paucity of surveillance data on local rates of antimicrobial resistance, and lack of availability of newer, more costly agents.

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Obesity was a risk factor for severe COVID-19 in children during early outbreaks of ancestral SARS-CoV-2 and the Delta variant. However, the relationship between obesity and COVID-19 severity during the Omicron wave remains unclear.

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Antimicrobial resistance poses a significant threat to children's health, with up to 20% of 1.27 million deaths attributable to bacterial AMR annually, occurring in children <5 years. The WHO 2024 Bacterial Priority Pathogens List identifies methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) as critical pathogens. This review examines the epidemiology, treatment recommendations, dosing strategies, efficacy, and safety data for antibiotics targeting MRSA and VRE infections in children in Oceania.