Influenza infection can be severe in children with combined chronic conditions. As a group protection via annual flu vaccination is particularly important.

This seminar covered the 2019 flu vaccine, safety and effectiveness data, especially in children with chronic lung diseases and new strategies to increase flu vaccine coverage in our most vulnerable children.

Video resources
Slides and audio from the webinar are available below.
The session was chaired by Professor Kristine Macartney, Director at NCIRS.

Speakers:

Nick WoodAssociate Professor Nicholas Wood 

Nicholas Wood is a staff specialist general paediatrician and Associate Professor and Academic Lead (Higher Degree Research) in the Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health at The University of Sydney. He holds an NHMRC Career Development Fellowship. He leads the NSW Immunisation Specialist Service and coordinates the Immunisation Adverse Events Clinic at The Children's Hospital at Westmead. He is interested in maternal and neonatal immunisation, as well as research into vaccine safety, including genetics and long-term outcomes of adverse events following immunisation. In this seminar. Nick will present on the experience of the 2018 flu year, the importance of vaccinating children with chronic medical conditions, what is currently happening with interseasonal flu, composition of the 2019 flu vaccines and how we will measure their safety.

 

https://research.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/images/profile/unsw_med_81_holly_seale_copy2.jpg

 Dr Holly Seale 

Holly Seale is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Public Health and Community Medicine. Her work focuses on improving awareness and acceptance of immunisation with a particular focus on special at-risk groups including children and adults with medical conditions, healthcare workers and refugees and migrants. promotion and delivery of flu vaccination to at-risk kids with underlying health conditions as well as the knowledge, attitudes and practices of parents of these at-risk kids towards influenza vaccination. In this seminar Holly will present on research focused on: promotion and delivery of flu vaccination to at-risk kids with underlying health conditions as well as the knowledge, attitudes and practices of parents of these at-risk kids towards influenza vaccination.

 

Sami Samantha Carlson

 Samantha is a Research Officer at NCIRS and assists in social research, communication and evaluation of immunisation programs. She completed a   Bachelor of Science (Microbiology and Immunobiology) and a Master of Public Health through The University of Sydney. She is currently undertaking a   full-time PhD using mixed-methods approach to understand attitudes about and access to influenza vaccination experienced by parents of children   hospitalised for influenza.

Last updated May 2019