Our research in vaccine safety

Our research in vaccine safety focuses on rare and serious allergic reactions to vaccines among children. Over the past two decades a number of new vaccines have been licensed for widespread use in the community, such as rotavirus, cervical cancer and swine flu vaccines, and an ongoing assessment of their safety is critical. Since current methods of vaccine safety surveillance are limited, we are undertaking ongoing research into how vaccine reactions are currently identified. Our findings are used to sustain public confidence in vaccine safety and inform improvements to the national immunisation program.

We are the first researchers in Australia to have linked the Australian Immunisation Childhood Register to childhood admissions in South Australian hospitals, in order to identify the association between the Measles Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine and febrile seizures. This study established the feasibility of using a process called "data linkage" to detect adverse vaccine reactions among our children.

In addition, our research is focused on sentinel surveillance as a mechanism for monitoring adverse vaccine reactions, and the attitudes, knowledge and practice of parents and immunisation providers in the passive reporting of adverse events following immunisation.