Co-Head, Infectious Diseases Epidemiology; Epidemiology Lead, Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines & Infectious Diseases
BSc (Hons) GradDipClinEpi PhD
Associate Professor Hannah Moore is Program Head, Infections and Vaccines and Head of the Infectious Disease Epidemiology Team within the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases at the Telethon Kids Institute in Perth, Australia. She is a National Health and Medical Research Council Early Career Fellow and was named as an Emerging Research Leader at the Telethon Kids Institute. She is also an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow with The University of Western Australia, where she completed her PhD in 2011. Her passion for research involves using large population-based datasets to investigate how to prevent and reduce serious respiratory and other infectious diseases in children.
Associate Professor Moore has successfully negotiated with various data linkage stakeholders across Australia and was pivotal in the first ever linkages with routine laboratory data to population-based administrative health datasets including perinatal data collections, birth and death records, hospital records, emergency department records and national immunisation records. Using these data, which includes the only population-based RSV dataset in Australia, Associate Professor Moore pioneered the first dynamic transmission model for RSV using these unique data. Associate Professor Moore and her team at the Telethon Kids Institute are developing knowledge of how best to identify pathogen-specific burden of disease using administrative data, risk factors for infection and evaluating the real-world vaccine effectiveness of immunisation programs on a population basis. Her team has contributed to maternal influenza vaccination policy through showing that antenatal influenza vaccine does not result in adverse birth outcomes and is currently contributing to national seasonal influenza vaccination policy though their involvement in a collaborative network across Australia.
Associate Professor Moore has gained experience in community consultation and received numerous early career awards, most notably a Fellowship to attend the 64th Meeting of Nobel Laureates, training in advanced vaccinology at the Fondation Merieux and in 2015 was named the Woodside Early Career Scientist at the Premier’s Science Awards.
-
Projects
-
Publications
August 2015
Infant respiratory infections and later respiratory hospitalisation in childhood
The aim of this study was to use total-population based data on an otherwise healthy population of children to assess the relationship between early...
Asthma Published research Academic Biostatistics Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Children's Lung HealthJanuary 2015Surveillance of antenatal influenza vaccination: Validity of current systems and recommendations for improvement
Although influenza vaccination is recommended during pregnancy as standard of care, limited surveillance data are available for monitoring uptake.
Published research Immunisation Influenza Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyJanuary 2015Optimization is required when using linked hospital and laboratory data to investigate respiratory infections
Despite a recommendation for microbiological testing, only 45% of children hospitalized for respiratory infections in our previous data linkage study linked...
Published research Academic Biostatistics Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupMay 2015Childhood Hospitalisation with Infection and Cardiovascular Disease in Early-Mid Adulthood: A Longitudinal Population-Based Study
We investigated whether childhood infection-related hospitalisation (IRH, a marker of severity) was associated with subsequent adult CVD hospitalisation.
Published research Academic Biostatistics Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases EpidemiologySeptember 2014Risk factors and comorbidities for invasive pneumococcal disease in Western Australian Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people
Australian Aboriginal people have among the highest rates of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) worldwide. This paper investigates clinical diagnosis, risk...
Published research Immunisation Aboriginal Health Infectious Diseases Ear Health Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyJune 2014Modelling the seasonal epidemics of respiratory syncytial virus in young children
This paper describes a mathematical model used to predict when an epidemic of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) will occur so that preventive measures, such...
Published research Academic Biostatistics Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupMarch 2014Morbidity due to acute lower respiratory infection in children with birth defects: A total population-based linked data study
Children with birth defects experience higher rates of hospitalisation for ALRIs before age 2 years than children with no birth defects.
Published research Academic Biostatistics Aboriginal Health Alcohol and Pregnancy and FASD Research Ear Health Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyDecember 2013Modelling the seasonality of respiratory syncytial virus in young children
The transmission dynamics of RSV infection among young children are still poorly understood and mathematical modelling can be used to better understand...
Published research Influenza Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyNovember 2013Diverging Trends in Gastroenteritis Hospitalizations during Two Decades in Western Australian Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Children
Our findings highlight the need to consider age, ethnicity, seasonality and climate when evaluating rotavirus vaccine programs.
Published research Aboriginal Health Infectious Diseases Ear Health Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyJuly 2013How Accurate Are International Classification of Diseases-10 Diagnosis Codes in Detecting Influenza and Pertussis Hospitalizations in Children?
Influenza diagnosis codes had high specificity (98.6%) and modest positive predictive value (PPV; 84.1%) and sensitivity (86.1%) for a laboratory-confirmed...
Published research Academic Biostatistics Influenza Whooping Cough Ear Health Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupAugust 2012Can linked emergency department data help assess the out-of-hospital burden of acute lower respiratory infections
There is a lack of data on the out-of-hospital burden of acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) in developed countries.
Published research Academic Biostatistics Aboriginal Health Infectious Diseases Ear Health Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupJuly 2012Prevalence of and risk factors for human rhinovirus infection in healthy aboriginal and non-aboriginal western australian children
Human rhinovirus (HRV) species C (HRV-C) have been associated with frequent and severe acute lower respiratory infections and asthma in hospitalized children.
Published research Academic Biostatistics Aboriginal Health Infectious Diseases Ear Health Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyJune 2012Reduction in disparity for pneumonia hospitalisations between Australian indigenous and non-Indigenous children
In the 1990s pneumonia hospitalisation rates in Western Australia (WA) were 13 times higher in Indigenous children than in non-Indigenous children...
Published research Academic Biostatistics Aboriginal Health Infectious Diseases Ear Health Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupMay 2012Hospitalisation for bronchiolitis in infants is more common after elective caesarean delivery
The authors previously reported an increased risk of hospitalisation for acute lower respiratory infection up to age 2 years in children delivered by...
Published research Academic Biostatistics Infectious Diseases Human Immunology Ear Health Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupJanuary 2012Use of data linkage to investigate the aetiology of acute lower respiratory infection hospitalisations in children
The aim was to document the aetiology of acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) hospitalisations in Western Australian children
Published research Academic Biostatistics Infectious Diseases Ear Health Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupOctober 2011Hospitalisation for bronchiolitis in infants is more common after elective caesarean delivery
The authors previously reported an increased risk of hospitalisation for acute lower respiratory infection up to age 2 years in children delivered by...
Published research Academic Biostatistics Bronchiolitis Human Immunology Ear Health Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupApril 2011Acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) in Indigenous and non-Indigenous children
In Australia and many other developed countries, acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) is one of the most common reasons for hospitalisation in young...
Published research Aboriginal Health Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyFebruary 2011Influenza vaccine effectiveness against laboratory-confirmed influenza in healthy children aged 6-59 months:
The Western Australian Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness study commenced in 2008 to evaluate a new program to provide free influenza vaccine to all children...
Published research Academic Biostatistics Immunisation Influenza Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupDecember 2010A retrospective population-based cohort study identifying target areas for prevention of acute lower respiratory infections in children
Acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) are a major cause of hospitalisation in young children
Published research Infectious Diseases Ear Health Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupJuly 2010Assessing the protective effect of influenza vaccine against laboratory confirmed influenza in hospitalised children aged 6-59 months
Influenza vaccine was offered to all children aged 6-59 months resident in Western Australia in 2008, and we wished to evaluate the effectiveness of this immunisation programme.
Published research Academic Biostatistics Immunisation Influenza Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupJuly 2010Lessons from the first year of the WAIVE study investigating the protective effect of influenza vaccine
Influenza is major cause of paediatric hospitalisation. Influenza vaccine was offered to all children aged 6-59 months resident in Western Australia in 2008
Published research Academic Biostatistics Immunisation Influenza Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupJune 2010The changing epidemiology of invasive pneumococcal disease
We investigated trends in invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in Western Australia (WA).
Immunisation Aboriginal Health Infectious Diseases Ear Health Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupJune 2010The interaction between respiratory viruses and pathogenic bacteria
Data on asymptomatic identification rates of respiratory viruses are limited, particularly in Indigenous populations, who suffer a high burden of OM.
Aboriginal Health Infectious Diseases Infectious Disease Implementation Research Aboriginal Maternal Health & Child DevelopmentJune 2007Diverging trends for lower respiratory infections in non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal children
To investigate temporal trends in admission rates for acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) in a total population birth cohort of non-Aboriginal and...
Published research Aboriginal Health Infectious Diseases Ear Health Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupMarch 2007Infection is the major component of the disease burden in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australian children: a population-based study
Infection accounts for the majority of pediatric mortality and morbidity in developing countries, but there are limited data on the infectious diseases...
Published research Academic Biostatistics Ear Health Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupJanuary 2022Developing 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.
Published research Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Respiratory viral infectionsJanuary 2022Pertussis burden and acellular pertussis vaccine effectiveness in high risk children
Pertussis hospitalisation is more common among infants born prematurely, who have significant comorbidities, or are Indigenous, but acellular pertussis (aP) vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates in these sub-groups are lacking. We measured aP VE by Indigenous status, and policy-relevant categories of prematurity and comorbidity, in a population-based Australian cohort.
Published research Early Childhood Development Immunisation Whooping Cough Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyJanuary 2022Longitudinal, population-based cohort study of prenatal influenza vaccination and influenza infection in childhood
Influenza vaccination is recommended to protect mothers and their infants from influenza infection. Few studies have evaluated the health impacts of in utero exposure to influenza vaccine among children more than six months of age.
Published research Immunisation Influenza Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyMarch 2022Influenza 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.
Published research Immunisation Influenza Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious DiseasesMarch 2022Examining the interseasonal resurgence of respiratory syncytial virus in Western Australia
Following a relative absence in winter 2020, a large resurgence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) detections occurred during the 2020/2021 summer in Western Australia. This seasonal shift was linked to SARS-CoV-2 public health measures. We examine the epidemiology and RSV testing of respiratory-coded admissions, and compare clinical phenotype of RSV-positive admissions between 2019 and 2020.
Published research Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Healthy Skin and ARF Prevention Respiratory viral infectionsApril 2022Prenatal influenza vaccination and allergic and autoimmune diseases in childhood: A longitudinal, population-based linked cohort study
Few studies have evaluated the effect of maternal influenza vaccination on the development of allergic and autoimmune diseases in children beyond 6 months of age. We aimed to investigate the association between in utero exposure to seasonal inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) and subsequent diagnosis of allergic and autoimmune diseases.
Asthma Published research Immunisation Influenza Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious DiseasesMay 2022The global burden of sore throat and group A Streptococcus pharyngitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Contemporary data for the global burden of sore throat and group A Streptococcus (Strep A) pharyngitis are required to understand the frequency of disease and develop value propositions for Strep A vaccines.
Published research Immunisation Infectious Diseases Ear Health Group A Streptococcal & Rheumatic Heart Disease Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Invasive Streptococcus A Disease Systems VaccinologyJune 2022Maternal influenza vaccination and child mortality: Longitudinal, population-based linked cohort study
Influenza vaccination is recommended to protect mothers and their infants from influenza. Few studies have evaluated the association between maternal influenza vaccination and child mortality. We aimed to evaluate the association between in utero exposure to seasonal inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) and mortality among young children.
Published research Early Childhood Development Immunisation Influenza Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious DiseasesJune 2022Modelled estimates of hospitalisations attributable to respiratory syncytial virus and influenza in Australia, 2009–2017
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza are important causes of disease in children and adults. In Australia, information on the burden of RSV in adults is particularly limited.
Published research Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Respiratory viral infectionsAugust 2022Prevalence of respiratory viruses in community-acquired pneumonia in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Respiratory viruses are increasingly detected in children with community-acquired pneumonia but prevalence estimates vary substantially. We aimed to systematically review and pool estimates for 22 viruses commonly associated with community-acquired pneumonia.
Published research Influenza Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials Group Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Immune system Respiratory viral infectionsSeptember 2022Effectiveness of 7-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Against Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in Medically At-Risk Children in Australia: A Record Linkage Study
Children with chronic medical conditions are at higher risk of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), but little is known about the effectiveness of the primary course of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in these children.
Published research Immunisation Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Invasive Streptococcus A DiseaseSeptember 2022A Systematic Framework for Prioritizing Burden of Disease Data Required for Vaccine Development and Implementation: The Case for Group A Streptococcal Diseases
Vaccine development and implementation decisions need to be guided by accurate and robust burden of disease data. We developed an innovative systematic framework outlining the properties of such data that are needed to advance vaccine development and evaluation, and prioritize research and surveillance activities.
Published research Immunisation Infectious Diseases Group A Streptococcal & Rheumatic Heart Disease Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Invasive Streptococcus A Disease Healthy Skin and ARF Prevention Implementation, Epidemiology & New HorizonsSeptember 2022An Unusual Resurgence of Human Metapneumovirus in Western Australia Following the Reduction of Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Transmission
Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission disrupted respiratory virus seasonality. We examined the unusual return of human metapneumovirus (hMPV) in Western Australia following a period of absence in 2020.
Published research Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases COVID-19December 2022Australian hospital paediatricians and nurses’ perspectives and practices for influenza vaccine delivery in children with medical comorbidities
Influenza vaccination of children with medical comorbidities is critical due their increased risks for severe influenza disease. In Australia, hospitals are an avenue for influenza vaccine delivery to children with comorbidities but are not always effectively utilised. Qualitative enquiry sought to ascertainment the barriers and enablers for influenza vaccination recommendation, delivery, and recording of these children at Australian hospitals.
Published research Influenza Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials Group Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Immune system Child disabilityJanuary 2021Maternal prenatal stress exposure and sex-specific risk of severe infection in offspring
Maternal stressful life events during pregnancy have been associated with immune dysregulation and increased risk for asthma and atopy in offspring. Few studies have investigated whether prenatal stress is associated with increased overall or specific infectious diseases in childhood, nor explored sex differences. We sought to examine the relationship between the nature and timing of maternal stress in pregnancy and hospitalisation with infection in offspring.
Published research Depression and Anxiety Human Capability Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Youth Mental Health Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious DiseasesJanuary 2021Epidemiology 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).
Published research Influenza Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious DiseasesFebruary 2021Vaccine coverage in children born to migrant mothers in Australia: A population-based cohort study
Overall, infant immunisation coverage is currently >90% in Australia, but there are pockets of under-immunised children including children from migrant backgrounds.
Published research Immunisation Whooping Cough Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyFebruary 2021Estimating pneumococcal vaccine coverage among Australian Indigenous children and children with medically at-risk conditions using record linkage
Risk-based recommendations are common for pneumococcal vaccines but little is known about their uptake. In Australia, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) was funded only for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) children and those with underlying medical conditions in 2001, and then there were different booster dose recommendations depending on risk after the introduction of universal PCV vaccination in 2005.
Published research Aboriginal Health Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious DiseasesMarch 2021Improving Influenza Vaccination in Children With Comorbidities: A Systematic Review
Children with medical comorbidities are at greater risk for severe influenza and poorer clinical outcomes. Despite recommendations and funding, influenza vaccine coverage remains inadequate in these children. We aimed to systematically review literature assessing interventions targeting influenza vaccine coverage in children with comorbidities and assess the impact on influenza vaccine coverage.
Published research Influenza Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Geospatial Health and DevelopmentJune 2021The 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.
Published research Immunisation Influenza Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious DiseasesJune 2021Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Public Health Measures on Detections of Influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Children During the 2020 Australian Winter
Public health measures targeting coronavirus disease 2019 have potential to impact transmission of other respiratory viruses. We found 98.0% and 99.4% reductions in respiratory syncytial virus and influenza detections, respectively, in Western Australian children through winter 2020 despite schools reopening. Border closures have likely been important in limiting external introductions.
Published research Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases COVID-19July 2021Childhood vaccination coverage in Australia: an equity perspective
This study describes trends in social inequities in first dose measles-mumps-rubella (MMR1) vaccination coverage in Western Australia (WA) and New South Wales (NSW).
Published research Immunisation Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases MeaslesAugust 2021Lack of effectiveness of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccination against pneumococcal carriage density in Papua New Guinean infants
Papua New Guinea (PNG) introduced the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in 2014, with administration at 1, 2, and 3 months of age. PCV13 has reduced or eliminated carriage of vaccine types in populations with low pneumococcal carriage prevalence, carriage density and serotype diversity.
Published research Immunisation Infectious Diseases Ear Health Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials Group Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Subsite: END RHDAugust 2021Levels of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine coverage and indirect protection against invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia hospitalisations in Australia: An observational study
There is limited empiric evidence on the coverage of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) required to generate substantial indirect protection. We investigate the association between population PCV coverage and indirect protection against invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and pneumonia hospitalisations among undervaccinated Australian children.
Published research Immunisation Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious DiseasesAugust 2021Excess 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.
Published research Immunisation Influenza Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious DiseasesOctober 2021Children with secondary care episodes for otitis media have poor literacy and numeracy outcomes: A data linkage study
We examined the association between otitis media and educational attainment in a retrospective population cohort of Western Australian children who participated in the Grade 3 National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy in 2012.
Published research Ear Infections Ear Health Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious DiseasesNovember 2021Interrupted time-series analysis showed unintended consequences of non-pharmaceutical interventions on paediatric hospital admissions
COVID-19-associated non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) have disrupted respiratory viral transmission. We quantified the changes in paediatric hospital admissions in 2020 from five different NPI phases in Western Australia for acute lower respiratory infections (ALRI) in children in the context of all-cause admissions.
Published research Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases COVID-19November 2021The Interseasonal Resurgence of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Australian Children Following the Reduction of Coronavirus Disease 2019-Related Public
Following the end of winter, there has been a persistent absence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 community transmission and no increase in influenza detections. Limited physical distancing measures have remained in place, with largely no restrictions on gathering sizes and no mandate for wearing masks.
Published research Influenza Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases COVID-19 Respiratory viral infectionsDecember 2021Examining the entire delayed respiratory syncytial virus season in Western Australia
An interseasonal resurgence of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was observed in Western Australia at the end of 2020. Our previous report describing this resurgence compared the 2019 and 2020 calendar years, capturing only part of the 2020/21 season.
Published research Influenza Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Healthy Skin and ARF Prevention Respiratory viral infectionsNovember 2020Mode of birth and risk of infection-related hospitalisation in childhood: A population cohort study of 7.17 million births from 4 high-income countries
The proportion of births via cesarean section (CS) varies worldwide and in many countries exceeds WHO-recommended rates. Long-term health outcomes for children born by CS are poorly understood, but limited data suggest that CS is associated with increased infection-related hospitalisation. We investigated the relationship between mode of birth and childhood infection-related hospitalisation in high-income countries with varying CS rates.
Published research Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious DiseasesNovember 2020Predictors of hospital readmission in infants less than 3 months old
To examine rates and predictors of 7-day readmission in infants hospitalised before 3 months of age with infectious and non-infectious conditions. A retrospective population-based data-linkage study of 121 854 infants from a 5-year metropolitan birth cohort (2008-2012). Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine associations between infant and maternal factors with 7-day readmission.
Published research Infectious Diseases Vaccine Trials Group Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious DiseasesOctober 2020RSV prophylaxis use in high-risk infants in Western Australia, 2002-2013: a record linkage cohort study
The monoclonal antibody, palivizumab is licensed for use in high-risk infants to prevent severe illness caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The level of its use and compliance with current jurisdictional guidelines which were amended in 2010, is unknown.
Published research Allergy & Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupAugust 2020Infant, maternal and demographic predictors of delayed vaccination: A population-based cohort study
Receiving vaccines at or close to their due date (vaccination timeliness) is a now key measure of program performance. However, studies comprehensively examining predictors of delayed infant vaccination are lacking. We aimed to identify predictors of short and longer-term delays in diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccination by dose number and ethnicity.
Published research Immunisation Infectious Diseases Vaccine Trials Group Subsite: Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious DiseasesJune 2020Assessing the burden of laboratory-confirmed respiratory syncytial virus infection in a population cohort of Australian children through record linkage
Respiratory syncytial virus is pervasive across multiple severity levels and diagnoses. Vaccines targeting children <3 months must be prioritized
Published research Academic Biostatistics Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyFebruary 2019Geographical disparities in emergency department presentations for acute respiratory infections and risk factors for presenting
One in four ED presentations in WA children are for ARIs, representing a significant out-of-hospital burden with some evidence of geographical disparity
Published research Academic Biostatistics Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupFebruary 2019Perinatal Risk Factors Associated With Gastroenteritis Hospitalizations in Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Children in Western Australia (2000-2012)
Given the beneficial effect of infant rotavirus vaccination efforts should be taken to optimize rotavirus vaccine coverage in those at highest risk
Published research Academic Biostatistics Infectious Diseases Ear Health Infectious Disease Implementation Research Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyApril 2019Australian Aboriginal children have higher hospitalization rates for otitis media but lower surgical procedures than non-Aboriginal children
Aboriginal children and children from lower socio-economic backgrounds were over-represented with OM-related hospitalizations but had fewer TTIs
Published research Ear Infections Aboriginal Health Infectious Diseases Ear Health Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyApril 2019Caregiver’s attitudes, beliefs, and experiences for influenza vaccination in Australian children with medical comorbidities
Influenza vaccination recommendation by children’s hospital physicians and previous vaccine receipt in hospital was associated with vaccine uptake
Published research Immunisation Influenza Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyMay 2019Temporal trends and socioeconomic differences in acute respiratory infection hospitalisations in children: an intercountry comparison of birth cohort studies
Admissions for ARI were higher in Western Australia and displayed greater socioeconomic disparities than England and Scotland, where ARI rates are increasing
Published research Academic Biostatistics Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyAugust 2019Impact of Childhood Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine on Nonnotified Clinically Suspected Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in Australia
This study provides a quantitative estimate of the total burden of invasive pneumococcal disease preventable by vaccination programs in Australia
Published research Immunisation Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases EpidemiologySeptember 2019Perinatal risk factors associated with skin infection hospitalisation in Western Australian Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal children
We have quantified the relative influence of perinatal risk factors associated with skin infection hospitalisations in WA children
Published research Academic Biostatistics Skin Infections Aboriginal Health Group A Streptococcal & Rheumatic Heart Disease Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Healthy Skin and ARF PreventionSeptember 2019Timeliness and factors associated with rotavirus vaccine uptake among Australian Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children: A record linkage cohort study
Aboriginal children are at greater risk of rotavirus disease than non-Aboriginal children and delayed vaccine receipt is substantially higher
Published research Academic Biostatistics Immunisation Infectious Diseases Infectious Disease Implementation Research Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyOctober 2019Effectiveness of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine against hospital admissions for pneumonia in Australian children
Reductions in pneumonia-coded hospital admissions in unvaccinated children predominated in non-Aboriginal children with low incidence of pneumonia
Published research Academic Biostatistics Immunisation Infectious Diseases Infectious Disease Implementation Research Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyNovember 2019Effectiveness of Palivizumab against Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Cohort and Case Series Analysis
Palivizumab appeared effective for reducing virologically confirmed respiratory syncytial virus in this high-risk cohort
Published research Infectious Diseases Infectious Disease Implementation Research Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials Group Neonatal Infection and ImmunityDecember 2019Spatial patterns of tuberculosis and HIV coinfection in Ethiopia
Our study provides evidence for geographic clustering of tuberculosis/human immunodeficiency virus co-infection in Ethiopia
Published research Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyJune 2018Optimising 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
Published research Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupJune 2018Assessment of on-time vaccination coverage in population subgroups: A record linkage cohort study
On-time coverage of the 2-4-6 month schedule is only 50-60% across specific population subgroups representing a significant avoidable public health risk
Published research Academic Biostatistics Infectious Diseases Infectious Disease Implementation Research Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupMay 2018Effectiveness of a 3 + 0 pneumococcal conjugate vaccine schedule against invasive pneumococcal disease among a birth cohort of 1.4 million children in Australia
Our population-based cohort study demonstrates that >90% coverage in the first year of a universal 3 + 0 PCV program provided high population-level protection
Published research Academic Biostatistics Infectious Diseases Infectious Disease Implementation Research Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupMarch 2018The Impact of Pneumococcal Vaccination on Bacterial and Viral Pneumonia in Western Australian Children: Record Linkage Cohort Study of 469589 Births, 1996-2012
We assessed the impact of PCV on all-cause and pathogen-specific pneumonia hospitalizations in Western Australian (WA) children aged 16 years.
Published research Academic Biostatistics Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupJanuary 2017Characterizing the risk of respiratory syncytial virus in infants with older siblings: a population-based birth cohort study
Our results lend support to a vaccination strategy which includes family members in order to provide maximum protection for newborn babies.
Published research Academic Biostatistics Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyApril 2017Population-based estimates of the effectiveness of pneumococcal vaccination in Australia
Australia’s Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR) is one of only a handful of national immunisation registers world-wide.
Published research Human ImmunologyJune 2017Using record linkage to validate notification and laboratory data for a more accurate assessment of notifiable infectious diseases
Studies investigating pathogen-specific infectious disease would benefit from using multiple data sources.
Published research Academic Biostatistics Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupJune 2017Using record linkage to examine testing patterns for respiratory viruses among children born in Western Australia
Using linked data, we describe changes in respiratory virus testing among children born in Western Australia in 1996-2012
Published research Academic Biostatistics Infectious Diseases EpidemiologySeptember 2017Viral etiology and the impact of codetection in young children presenting with influenza-like illness
Children with acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI) frequently exhibit virus-virus codetection, yet the clinical significance of ARTI remains contentious.
Published research Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupSeptember 2017Epidemiology of seasonal influenza infection in pregnant women and its impact on birth outcomes
Results from this linked population study suggests that there are differences in maternal infection by virus type and support the provision of seasonal vaccines
Published research Academic Biostatistics Influenza Infectious Diseases EpidemiologySeptember 2017Probabilistic linkage of national immunisation and state-based health records for a cohort of 1.9 million births to evaluate Australia’s childhood immunisation program
To describe the process for assembling a linked study that will enable the conduct of population-based studies related to immunisation and immunisation policy.
Published research Academic Biostatistics Infectious Disease Implementation Research Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyNovember 2017Hospital admissions for skin infections among Western Australian children and adolescents from 1996 to 2012
Skin infections are a significant cause of severe disease, requiring hospitalization in Western Australian children, particularly with Aboriginal children
Published research Skin Infections Group A Streptococcal & Rheumatic Heart Disease Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Aboriginal Maternal Health & Child Development Healthy Skin and ARF PreventionNovember 2017Record linkage study of the pathogen-specific burden of respiratory viruses in children
Reliance on hospital discharge diagnosis codes alone will likely underestimate the burden of respiratory viruses
Published research Academic Biostatistics Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupNovember 2017Hospital admissions for skin infections among Western Australian children and adolescents from 1996 to 2012
The objective of this study was to describe the occurrence of skin infection associated hospitalizations in children born in Western Australia (WA).
Published research Group A Streptococcal & Rheumatic Heart Disease Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials Group Aboriginal Maternal Health & Child Development Healthy Skin and ARF PreventionDecember 2017Advances in Vaccines to Prevent Viral Respiratory Illnesses in Children
Childhood vaccination has played a critical role in the reduction of morbidity and mortality from communicable diseases, including specific respiratory pathogens
Published research Infectious Disease Implementation Research Group A Streptococcal & Rheumatic Heart Disease Vaccine Trials GroupOctober 2016Effect of Maternal Influenza Vaccination on Hospitalization for Respiratory Infections in Newborns: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Maternal influenza vaccination was associated with a reduction in the incidence of hospital admission for acute respiratory illness among infants <6 months old
Published research Academic Biostatistics Influenza Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyAugust 2016Association of gestational age and growth measures at birth with infection-related admissions to hospital throughout childhood
Children who were born with reduced gestational age, birthweight, and birth length have persistently increased rates of infection-related admissions to hospital until age 18 years
Published research Academic Biostatistics Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Computational BiologyJuly 2016Effectiveness of seasonal trivalent influenza vaccination against hospital-attended acute respiratory infections in pregnant women
Influenza vaccination during pregnancy was associated with significantly fewer hospital attendances for ARI in pregnant women
Published research Academic Biostatistics Influenza Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyMay 2016Time series analysis of RSV and bronchiolitis seasonality in temperate and tropical Western Australia
Bronchiolitis hospitalisations are a reasonable proxy for the timing of RSV detections, but may not fully capture the magnitude of RSV epidemics
Published research Bronchiolitis Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyJanuary 2016Optimization is required when using linked hospital and laboratory data to investigate respiratory infections
Chart review to validate linked microbiological data
Published research Academic Biostatistics Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Vaccine Trials GroupJanuary 2016Seasonal trivalent influenza vaccination during pregnancy and the incidence of stillbirth: Population-based retrospective cohort study
Although antenatal influenza vaccination is an important public health intervention for preventing serious infection in pregnant women and newborns, reported...
Published research Academic Biostatistics Immunisation Influenza Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyJanuary 2016Establishing a process for conducting cross-jurisdictional record linkage in Australia
We outline the processes involved in conducting a Proof of Concept data linkage project including the implementation of national data integration principles
Published research Academic Biostatistics Immunisation Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyJanuary 2016Exploring the dynamics of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) transmission in children
We develop a compartmental model for RSV infection, driven by a seasonal forcing function, and conduct parameter space and bifurcation analyses to document...
Published research Infectious Diseases Infectious Diseases EpidemiologyJanuary 2016Systematic review and meta-analysis of respiratory viral coinfections in children
Coinfection is not associated with increased clinical severity, but further investigations by pathogen pairs are warranted
Published research Academic Biostatistics Infectious Diseases Epidemiology -
Education and Qualifications
-
Awards/Honours
-
Active Collaborations