成人大片

The 成人大片 has secured more than $960,000 from the to lead an international project to improve the uptake of vaccinations against influenza and COVID-19 for some of our most vulnerable people 鈥� pregnant women and children with chronic health conditions.

Led by South Australian of the Year, 成人大片 Professor Helen Marshall, AM, the project team includes researchers from around Australia and the UK and paediatric and obstetric specialists in hospitals in South Australia, Victoria, and Western Australia.聽

Partners on the project include the Women鈥檚 and Children鈥檚 Health Network, Southern Adelaide Local Health Network, Northern Adelaide Local Health Network, SA Health and Dept. for Trade and Investment, SA Government, Victoria Dept. Health, Government of WA, and Women鈥檚 and Children鈥檚 Hospital Foundation.

Professor Marshall says part of the problem is that the risks of negative health outcomes for unvaccinated pregnant women and vulnerable children are widely underestimated in the community.聽

鈥淧regnant women are three times more likely to die from COVID-19, and with influenza, they are more than seven times more likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit, than non-pregnant women," she says.

鈥淲hat we are also seeing with COVID-19 is damage to the placenta and a greater risk of still and pre-term births.

鈥淐hildren with some chronic diseases already have a higher risk of hospitalisation and admission to intensive care from influenza, and following COVID-19 infection, there is increased potential for long term disability.鈥澛�

Despite these alarming risks, Professor Marshall says vaccination rates in these two vulnerable groups are suboptimal.聽

鈥淯ptake of the recommended influenza vaccine among pregnant women and medically at-risk children in Australia is only about 50 per cent and based on recent surveys, the uptake of COVID-19 vaccine among children is similar,鈥� she says.

鈥淲e are heading into winter with co-circulation of influenza and COVID-19 and a likely severe influenza season.聽

鈥淎dding to the elevated risk is that a large proportion of the population now has low immunity due to no exposure to influenza for the past two years.鈥�

"Pregnant women are three times more likely to die from COVID-19, and with influenza, they are more than seven times more likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit, than non-pregnant women."Professor Helen Marshall

Professor Marshall says the NHMRC-funded project brings together not only health experts and practitioners but will also engage pregnant women and parents of children with chronic health conditions, to look at what factors can positively influence the uptake of vaccinations.

鈥淲e will be exploring what elements of health care and health communication will act as an effective nudge to encourage vaccinations,鈥� Professor Marshall says.

聽鈥淭argeted, evidence-based interventions in hospital settings are urgently needed rather than a 鈥榦ne size fits all鈥� approach, if we are to reduce hospitalisations, long-term negative health outcomes, and deaths for these most vulnerable groups.鈥澛�

Using randomised controlled trials, the project team will evaluate the effectiveness of new, multi-level interventions, that have been co-designed with parents, pregnant women, doctors, nurses, and hospital administrators.

鈥淲e are looking at how, across a person鈥檚 engagement with the health care system, a combination of 鈥渘udges鈥� might deliver increased vaccination rates,鈥� co-investigator, Ivo Vlaev, Professor of Behavioural Science at the University of Warwick says.

鈥淚t could be a combination of things - easier access to vaccines, text message reminders, or checklists for doctors, nurses or health professionals to discuss vaccination with their patients,鈥� he says.聽

鈥淚t might be where vaccination clinics are located, pre-booking vaccine appointments 鈥� we want to canvass ideas form pregnant women and parents and health sector workers by holding 鈥榥udegethons鈥�, and then use gold standard research methods to assess whether nudges work.鈥�

Professor Marshall says the team will be working to find strategies that are easily implementable in hospitals and that are proven to increase immunisation coverage for two very vulnerable groups.

鈥淲e know that COVID-19 is not going away in a hurry and every year influenza is a risk,鈥� she says.聽

Co-investigator on the study and paediatrician at the Royal Children鈥檚 Hospital in Melbourne, Associate Professor Margie Danchin says passive health information alone is not enough to move the vaccination uptake statistics.聽

鈥淧roven strategies that can be rolled out nationally at obstetric and paediatric hospitals have the potential, not only to reduce the cost of hospitalisations, but also to save many lives,鈥� she says.聽

Participating hospitals in the project include:
SA 鈥� The Women鈥檚 and Children鈥檚 Hospital, Lyell McEwin hospital, Flinders Medical Centre
Victoria 鈥� The Royal Children鈥檚 Hospital and Royal Women鈥檚 Hospital聽
WA 鈥� Perth Children鈥檚 Hospital, King Edward Memorial Hospital