Researchers at RCH show no association in vaccine uptake as a result of mandatory vaccination policies

Researchers from the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne's Specialist Immunisation Clinic and Drop in Centre have demonstrated mandatory immunisation policies 'No Jab, No Pay' and 'No Jab, No Play' show no association in vaccine uptake. Whilst the policies motivated attendance to a tertiary service, they don't appear to be changing vaccination behaviour as was the intention, with further evaluation required. 

Read more here:

Vaccine: Impact of Australian mandatory ‘No Jab, No Pay’ and ‘No Jab, No Play’ immunisation policies on immunisation services, parental attitudes to vaccination and vaccine uptake, in a tertiary paediatric hospital, the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne


COVID19 Road to a vaccine episode 6: Professor Paul Offit

In episode 6 of our COVID19 Road to a vaccine series, our host, Associate Professor Nigel Crawford, speaks to Professor Paul Offit. Professor Offit is an infectious diseases physician and Director of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHoP) Vaccine Education Center (VEC). The VEC website inspired the creation of the Melbourne Vaccine Education Centre, the host of this podcast series. 

In this episode they discuss:

  • The impact of SARS-CoV-2 on health care workers and the importance of a vaccine
  • Preventative therapies and randomised controlled trials in a pandemic, specifically the use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 and the other trials involving health care workers
  • COVID-19 in children - do they play a role in transmission? Will they be a target for vaccine studies?
  • Paediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome (PIMS) - how can we factor this emerging condition into safety planning?

Links:

You can listen to this episode here:

Spreaker - Apple - Spotify 


NCIRS webinar - NIP changes, what you need to know

On the 1st July 2020 important changes to the National Immunisation Program (NIP) and recommendations for pneumococcal, meningococcal and Hepatitis A vaccinations will come into effect. 

NCIRS hosted a webinar about these changes which is now available to view online:

NCIRS: Upcoming NIP changes: what you need to know 


COVID19 Road to a vaccine episode 5: Professor Terry Nolan

In episode 5 of our COVID19 Road to a vaccine series, our host, Associate Professor Nigel Crawford speaks to Professor Terry Nolan. Professor Nolan is a Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor at the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity. He heads up VIRGO, the vaccine and immunisation research group, a collaboration between Murdoch Children's Research Institute and the University of Melbourne. VIRGO has the largest and longest standing child and adolescent vaccine population research and clinical trials program in Australia. He previously chaired ATAGI, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation and was a member of SAGE, the World Health Organisation's main advisory group on vaccines and immunisation. They discuss the COVID-19 candidate vaccines from an Australian perspective and Australia's role in global clinical trials.  

Links:

Listen on:

Spreaker - Apple - Spotify


COVID19 Road to a vaccine podcast episode 4: Professor Kanta Subbarao

In episode 4 of our COVID19 Road to a vaccine series, our host, Associate Professor Nigel Crawford, will be speaking to Professor Kanta Subbarao. Professor Subbarao has been the Director of the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza since 2016, based at The Doherty Institute at the University of Melbourne, Australia. She is a virologist and physician who specialises in paediatric infectious diseases. Her research is focused on influenza, as well as newly emerging viral diseases of global importance such as SARS and MERS, which includes immune responses to infection and vaccination. 

In this episode they discuss:

  • The specific virus characteristics of SARS-CoV-2
  • How the biosafety laboratory at VIDRL (Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory) were able to culture the SARS-CoV-2 virus and distribute their findings globally
  • The origin of coronaviruses and why this pandemic strain is different
  • The spike protein and the important role antibodies play in the development of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine
  • Immunological principles in the development of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine
  • How to determine an antibody is functional and protective 
  • The likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 changing over time 

You can listen via our podcast page or via the links below:

Spreaker - Apple - Spotify 


Flu deaths prevented as cases plummet amid coronavirus lockdowns, AMA says

New data as reported by the ABC suggest that social distancing measures, reduced travel and other restrictions implemented in the COVID-19 pandemic appear to have resulted in a sharp decline in the number of influenza cases. 

Dr Chris Moy of the Australian Medical Association is careful to note that we may have actually delayed an influenza outbreak, but still believes the number of influenza cases will be less as we have a far more immunised population this year. 

Read more here: 

ABC: Flu deaths prevented as cases plummet amid coronavirus lockdowns, AMA says 

The MVEC team strongly support vaccination as a way to protect from seasonal influenza, read more in our MVEC Influenza vaccine recommendations


COVID19 Road to a vaccine podcast episode 3: Professor Andrew Pollard

In episode 3 of our COVID19 Road to a vaccine series our host, Associate Professor Nigel Crawford will be speaking to Professor Andrew Pollard, Professor of Paediatric Infection and Immunity at the University of Oxford. Professor Pollard is head of the Oxford Vaccine Group, who, along with the Jenner Institute, are running the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine trial.
 
They will be be discussing:
 
  • ​The Oxford Vaccine Centre's COVID-19 vaccine trial being run by the Oxford Vaccine Group and The Jenner Institute which Professor Pollard is co-leading 
  • How the Oxford Vaccine Group's previous work on the Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus vaccine enabled them to commence work on a SARS-2 vaccine very quickly, using the same platform
  • How the prior research into MERS and SARS vaccines gave huge insight into biology of coronaviruses and likely protective antigens
  • Vaccine safety concerns in vaccine development like antibody enhanced disease (AED) and the important role of vaccine safety in trial design and evaluation
  • An update on progress of The Oxford Vaccine Centre's current trials with the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine
  • The use of a control arm in randomised trials and how the COVID-19 Oxford Vaccine Trial are using a meningococcal vaccine in their control arm 
  • How declining disease in the community resulting in lower transmission and flattening of the curve affects both vaccine trial design and location of study sites
  • The upscaling of vaccine manufacturing required in a pandemic and how critical it is that there is global, equitable access to vaccine(s) when they are available
Resources:
 
 
You can listen via our podcast page or via the links below:
 
 

NCIRS webinar: Upcoming National Immunisation Program changes: what you need to know

On the 1st July 2020 important changes to the National Immunisation Program (NIP) and recommendations for pneumococcal, meningococcal and hepatitis A vaccinations will take effect.

NCIRS are hosting a webinar about these changes on June 16th at 1pm (AEST). Register for the webinar at the link below:

NCIRS: Upcoming NIP changes: what you need to know 


Yellow fever vaccination in egg-allergic children

Yellow Fever is a disease transmitted by mosquito vector, which can lead to serious complications or even death. Treatment is supportive, with vaccination being the most important strategy in preventing the disease; providing immunity in more than 95% of people who receive the vaccine. Currently, many guidelines advise that egg anaphylaxis is a contraindication to receiving a yellow fever vaccine (YFV), with the Australian Immunisation Handbook recommending people requiring the vaccine discuss this with an immunologist or allergist due to the YFV containing egg ovalbumin.

Due to the serious nature of the disease, some countries requiring proof of immunisation as an entry requirement and the widely varying guidelines pertaining to YFV in egg-allergic people; researchers from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS), and the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, have published a case series proposing that skin testing may not be required for patients with mild egg allergy, and that a 2-step graded challenge under medical supervision is a safe alternative.

Read more about their findings and recommendations here:

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal: Yellow Fever Vaccination in EGG Allergic Children

NCIRS: Yellow Fever vaccination in egg-allergic children


Upcoming changes to the NIP from July 1, 2020

On July 1, 2020, there will be several changes to the National Immunisation Program (NIP):

Eligibility for free NIP pneumococcal vaccines (Prevenar 13®, Pneumovax 23®)

  • Ceasing Pneumovax 23® for healthy non-Indigenous adults at 65 years of age
  • Commencing Prevenar 13® for healthy non-Indigenous adults ≥70 years of age
  • Commencing Prevenar 13® for Indigenous adults at ≥50 years of age plus Pneumovax 23® x 2 doses in a lifetime
  • Commencing Prevenar 13® for >12 months of age (including adolescents and adults) with newly diagnosed risk conditions plus Pneumovax 23® x 2 doses in a lifetime
  • New eligibility criteria for risk conditions

Eligibility for free NIP meningococcal B (Bexsero®) vaccine:

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants receive 2 primary doses of Bexsero® and 1 booster dose – 2, 4 and 12 months of age
  • Bexsero® catch-up is available for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children <2 years of age for 3 years until 30 June 2023
  • Some people with risk conditions will be eligible for Bexsero®

Read more about the changes here:

Clinical update: National Immunisation Program (NIP) schedule changes from 1 July 2020 – advice for vaccination providers