The Conversation: Is your child frightened of needles? Here’s how to prepare them for their COVID vaccine
Most children are fearful of needles and approximately one in five kids (19%) aged 4-6 years old experience needle phobia.
A child’s initial interaction with needles in their primary years may be formative for their relationship with immunisations throughout their lives. As such, it’s important to cultivate a safe and positive vaccination experience.
This article discusses techniques and strategies to help prepare children for vaccination, including accessing professional help from play and child life therapists for those with needle phobia.
To read the full article, please follow the link below:
Is your child frightened of needles? Here’s how to prepare them for their COVID vaccine
The Conversation: How can scientists update coronavirus vaccines for omicron? A microbiologist answers 5 questions about how Moderna and Pfizer could rapidly adjust mRNA vaccines
The new Omicron variant has raised the question of whether current COVID-19 vaccines will provide sufficient protection against infection. If the virus has changed significantly, antibodies created by the original vaccine will no longer be able to recognise and defend against the new mutated variant. Consequentially, vaccines will need to be modified by swapping out the genetic code of the original spike protein for the one found on the new variant.
This article explores the scientific process behind updating mRNA vaccines including timelines and authorization procedures.
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ABC News: What you need to consider if you’re planning to travel overseas with your unvaccinated kids
With international borders now open in New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT, experts are urging people to plan trips carefully, especially when accompanied by unvaccinated children.
Dr Daryl Cheng, Fellow at the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne shares his key recommendations for parents travelling overseas with unvaccinated kids, including weighing up the risks and benefits, and the importance of being well prepared and familiar with local health systems in their travel destinations.
Follow the link below to read the full article:
What you need to consider if you’re planning to travel overseas with your unvaccinated kids
NCIRS: Annual Immunisation Coverage Report 2020 Now available
A new Annual Immunisation Coverage Report 2020 has been released by the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) which examines Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) data for children, adolescents and adults.
This is the first NCIRS annual report to present whole-of-life data from the AIR, with adolescent and adult data included for the first time.
To read the full report, please click on the link below:
NCIRS: Annual Immunisation Coverage Report 2020 Now available
Clinical Vaccinology Update session recordings now available
Recordings of the sessions from our recent Clinical Vaccinology Update (CVU) are now available to access via our MVEC Education Portal Homepage.
To access the recordings, attendees can sign in to our Education Portal using their existing account details or simply create an account if are a new user.
If you did not attend the event but would like to access the recordings, you can purchase access via our Events Page.
If you have any questions about our CVU event please contact [email protected].
Omicron variant: will the COVID-19 Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca vaccines protect you?
Scientists around the world are looking at whether protective antibodies in the current COVID-19 vaccines are “sufficiently high” to cover the new Omicron strain. Additionally, the WHO and governments are assessing the severity of the new variant.
Vaccine makers, including Pfizer and Moderna have been working on “next-generation” mRNA vaccines that would be able to target particular variants circulating. Current data suggests that the COVID-19 vaccines used in Australia will protect against severe disease.
To read the full article, please click on the link below:
Omicron variant: will the COVID-19 Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca vaccines protect you?
Moderna says new vaccine for Omicron variant may be ready in early 2022
Moderna Inc. Chief Medical Officer Paul Burton has announced that they are working rapidly to test the current vaccine against the Omicron variant and studying two booster candidates.
Current data suggests that protection against the new strain still exists, depending on the length of time passed from an individual's second vaccine dose.
To read the full article, please follow the link below:
Moderna says new vaccine for Omicron variant may be ready in early 2022