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ATAGI 2021 annual statement on immunisation Last updated: 19 September 2021Christopher Blyth MBBS (Hons) DCH FRACP FRCPA PhD Centre Head, Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases; Co-Head, Infectious Diseases
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Non-specific benefit of seasonal influenza vaccine on respiratory syncytial virus-hospitalisations in children: An instrumental variable approach using population-based dataSeasonal influenza vaccine is effective against influenza hospitalisations, but little is known about non-specific effects of the vaccine on other respiratory pathogens with similar seasonal patterns. We aimed to assess the causal impact of seasonal influenza vaccine on laboratory-confirmed hospitalisations for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children using an instrumental variable strategy.
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Respiratory syncytial virus in children: epidemiology and clinical impact post-COVID-19Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) remains a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. RSV seasonality was disrupted by COVID-19-associated nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). We review RSV seasonality, molecular epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and community awareness to inform future prevention strategies.
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Influenza and pertussis vaccine coverage in pregnancy in Australia, 2016-2021Vaccination in pregnancy is the best strategy to reduce complications from influenza or pertussis infection in infants who are too young to be protected directly from vaccination. Pregnant women are also at risk of influenza complications preventable through antenatal vaccination. Both vaccines are funded under the National Immunisation Program for pregnant women in Australia, but coverage is not routinely reported nationally.
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Determining the true incidence of seasonal respiratory syncytial virus-confirmed hospitalizations in preterm and term infants in Western AustraliaRespiratory syncytial virus contributes to significant global infant morbidity and mortality. We applied a previously developed statistical prediction model incorporating pre-pandemic RSV testing data and hospital admission data to estimate infant RSV-hospitalizations by birth month and prematurity, focused on infants aged <1 year.
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Urinary tract infections in children: building a causal model-based decision support tool for diagnosis with domain knowledge and prospective dataDiagnosing urinary tract infections (UTIs) in children in the emergency department (ED) is challenging due to the variable clinical presentations and difficulties in obtaining a urine sample free from contamination.
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Causal Impact of Physical Activity on Child Health and DevelopmentThe relationship between physical activity and child health and development is well-documented, yet the extant literature provides limited causal insight into the amount of physical activity considered optimal for improving any given health or developmental outcome.
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Severity of Rotavirus-Vaccine-Associated Intussusception: Prospective Hospital-Based Surveillance, Australia, 2007-2018Multiple studies have shown an association between intussusception (IS) and receipt of monovalent or pentavalent rotavirus vaccine (RV) in the previous 21 days. Disease severity is an important consideration for risk-benefit evaluations of RV, but no studies have compared the severity of IS within 21 days of vaccination (vaccine-associated, VA) and later (not temporally-associated, VNA).
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Influenza vaccination among pregnant women in two hospitals in Sydney, NSW: what we can learn from women who decline vaccinationPregnant women are recognised as being at risk of serious illness from influenza. Despite this, and longstanding national recommendations for vaccination in pregnancy, vaccine uptake remains suboptimal. This study aims to determine factors associated with women declining influenza vaccination in pregnancy.
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Prevalence of long-term physical sequelae among patients treated with multi-drug and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis: a systematic review and meta-analysisPhysical sequelae related to multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) are emerging and under-recognised global challenges. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to quantify the prevalence and the types of long-term physical sequelae associated with patients treated for MDR- and XDR-TB.