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Hear the facts about vaccination and infectious disease from some of Australia's leading experts: Professor Jonathan Carapetis, Dr Peter Richmond

The State Government has launched a new strategy for improving immunisation rates among WA children, to prevent outbreaks of diseases like measles & meningitis

Hundreds of healthy volunteers are needed in Perth to test the effectiveness of a current 'flu vaccine.

Just under 150 Perth women have contributed to major international research at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research.

Perth researchers have begun a trial to test the effectiveness of a new vaccine to protect against the potentially deadly bird flu.

The Telethon Institute for Child Health Research today announced a new study investigating a vaccine to prevent infection of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).

Children with chronic medical diseases are at an unacceptable risk of hospitalisation and death from influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections. Over the past two decades, behavioural scientists have learnt how to design non-coercive 'nudge' interventions to encourage positive health behaviours. Our study aims to evaluate the impact of multicomponent nudge interventions on the uptake of COVID-19 and influenza vaccines in medically at-risk children.

Invasive Group B Streptococcus remains a leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality. Intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis has been implemented in many countries with a reduction in early-onset disease, but an effective vaccine may further reduce the disease burden. Candidate vaccines targeting capsular polysaccharides and surface proteins are now in clinical trials. 

Christopher Blyth MBBS (Hons) DCH FRACP FRCPA PhD Centre Head, Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases; Co-Head, Infectious Diseases

In addition to providing pathogen-specific immunity, vaccines can also confer nonspecific effects (NSEs) on mortality and morbidity unrelated to the targeted disease. Immunisation with live vaccines, such as the BCG vaccine, has generally been associated with significantly reduced all-cause infant mortality. In contrast, some inactivated vaccines, such as the diphtheria, tetanus, whole-cell pertussis (DTPw) vaccine, have been controversially associated with increased all-cause mortality especially in female infants in high-mortality settings.