Children globally have been profoundly impacted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This review explores the direct and indirect public health impacts of COVID-19 on children. We discuss in detail the transmission dynamics, vaccination strategies and, importantly, the ‘shadow pandemic’, encompassing underappreciated indirect impacts of the pandemic on children. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2022
• January 2022

Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) is a human pathogen of global importance, classified into serotypes based on the type of capsular polysaccharide produced. Serotyping of pneumococci is essential for disease surveillance and vaccine impact measurement. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2022
• August 2022

We previously reported the efficacy of the adjuvanted-protein COVID-19 vaccine candidate S-Trimer (SCB-2019) in adults who showed no evidence of previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2. In this study, we aimed to investigate the extent of protection afforded by previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 on subsequent COVID-19 infection, as well as the efficacy, safety, and reactogenicity of SCB-2019 in participants who were enrolled in the Study. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2022
• July 2022

To assess the short term safety of the COVID-19 vaccines Comirnaty (Pfizer–BioNTech BNT162b2) and Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca ChAdOx1) in Australia. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2022
• July 2022

Health care workers (HCWs) faced an increased risk of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout commenced in February 2021 to priority groups, including HCWs. Given their increased risk, as well as influence on patients’ vaccine uptake, it was important that HCWs had a positive COVID-19 vaccination experience, as well as trusting the vaccine safety and efficacy data. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2022
• December 2022

Within the first 4 months of the Western Australian COVID-19 immunisation programme, 49 suspected anaphylaxis cases were reported to the vaccine safety surveillance system. Twelve reports met Brighton Collaboration case definition, corresponding to rates of 15.9 and 17.7 per million doses of Vaxzevria and Comirnaty administered respectively. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2023
• February 2023

Pregnancy and early infancy are increased risk periods for severe adverse effects of respiratory infections. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (respectfully referred to as First Nations) women and children in Australia bear a disproportionately higher burden of respiratory diseases compared to non-Indigenous women and infants. Influenza vaccines and whooping cough (pertussis) vaccines are recommended and free in every Australian pregnancy to combat these infections. ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2023
• May 2023

The aim of this review was to investigate the impact of short message service (SMS)-based interventions on childhood and adolescent vaccine coverage and timeliness.  ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2024
• July 2024

Asthma is among the commonest noncommunicable diseases of childhood and often occurs with other atopic comorbidities. A previous case-control study found evidence that compared to children who received acellular pertussis (aP) vaccines in early infancy, children who received one or more doses of whole-cell pertussis (wP) vaccine had lower risk of developing IgE-mediated food allergy. We hypothesized that wP vaccination in early infancy might protect against atopic asthma in childhood.  ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2023
• October 2023

Both vector and mRNA vaccines were an important part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and may be required in future outbreaks and pandemics. The aim of this study was to validate whether immunogenicity differs for adenoviral vectored (AdV) versus mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, and to investigate how anti-vector immunity and B cell dynamics modulate immunogenicity.  ...

• 1. Telethon Kids Institute
• Our research
• Reports and Findings
• 2023
• October 2023