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Influenza hospitalizations in Australian children 2010–2019: The impact of medical comorbidities on outcomes, vaccine coverage, and effectiveness

Children with comorbidities are at greater risk of severe influenza outcomes compared with healthy children. In Australia, influenza vaccination was funded for those with comorbidities from 2010 and all children aged <5 years from 2018. Influenza vaccine coverage remains inadequate in children with and without comorbidities.

Developing a prediction model to estimate the true burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in hospitalised children in Western Australia

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of childhood morbidity, however there is no systematic testing in children hospitalised with respiratory symptoms. Therefore, current RSV incidence likely underestimates the true burden.

Excess respiratory mortality and hospitalizations associated with influenza in Australia, 2007-2015

Influenza is the most common vaccine-preventable disease in Australia, causing significant morbidity and mortality. We assessed the burden of influenza across all ages in terms of influenza-associated mortality and hospitalizations using national mortality, hospital-discharge and influenza surveillance data.

The Collaboration for Increasing Influenza Vaccination in Children (CIIVIC): a meeting report

The burden of seasonal influenza disease in Australian children is substantial, especially for those with medical comorbidities including chronic cardiac, respiratory, neurological and immunosuppressive conditions. Influenza is more likely to be severe in children with comorbidities compared to previously healthy children (e.g. more frequent and longer hospitalisation, more frequent intensive care unit admission and requiring respiratory support). Direct protection against influenza by vaccination is critical for children with comorbidities and remains the most effective tool for influenza prevention.

Epidemiology and seasonality of human parainfluenza serotypes 1-3 in Australian children

Parainfluenza viruses are significant contributors to childhood respiratory illness worldwide, although detailed epidemiological studies are lacking. Few recent Australian studies have investigated serotype-specific PIV epidemiology, and there is a paucity of southern hemisphere PIV reports. We report age-stratified PIV hospitalisation rates and a mathematical model of PIV seasonality and dynamics in Western Australia (WA).

The impact of new universal child influenza programs in Australia: Vaccine coverage, effectiveness and disease epidemiology in hospitalised children in 2018

A significant reduction in severe influenza was observed in Australian children, possibly contributed to by improved vaccine coverage and high vaccine effectiveness

Influenza Epidemiology, Vaccine Coverage and Vaccine Effectiveness in Children Admitted to Sentinel Australian Hospitals in 2017

Significant influenza-associated morbidity was observed in 2017 in Australia. Vaccine coverage and antiviral use was inadequate.

The school experiences of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes in Western Australia

Elevated levels of emotional difficulties among school students with T1D and variable levels of support from school staff to assist these students to manage their diabetes at school

Optimising the use of linked administrative data for infectious diseases research in Australia

Increased collaboration and engagement across all sectors can optimise the use of linked data to help reduce the burden of infectious diseases

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells protect from viral bronchiolitis and asthma through semaphorin 4a-mediated T reg expansion

We found transient pDC depletion during Pneumovirus infection alone predisposed to severe bronchiolitis in early life and subsequent asthma after reinfection.