Protecting Hyposplenic Children and Adults: Identifying Optimal Immunisation Regimens [ 2009 - 2014 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: Prof Jim Buttery (Principal investigator) ,  A/Pr Denis Spelman ,  A/Pr Robert Lindeman ,  Dr Christopher Barnes ,  Prof Paul Monagle

Brief description Children and adults without normal spleen function are at massively increased risk of overwhelming infection with the pneumococcus bacteria, with 200 times the risk of death from sepsis compared with the normal community. Poor spleen function can be due to an absent spleen (eg after surgery following a car accident) or an underlying medical condition (eg thalassaemia or cancer therapy). Thousands of Australians are affected by this condition and need extra protection from daily antibiotics and additional immunsiations against pneumococcus. A new vaccine against pneumococcus was introduced for Australian infants routinely in 2005 and has prevented many from developing pneumococcal meningitis, sepsis and pneumonia. We wish to see whether this new vaccine, when used with the older existing pneumococcal vaccine, will better protect older children and adults with poor spleen function from the devastating effects of pneumococcus. We will compare different ways of using these vaccines to try to identify the most protective vaccination plan for this vulnerable group of Australians.

Funding Amount $AUD 472,044.43

Funding Scheme NHMRC Project Grants

Notes Standard Project Grant