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Pertussis vaccine given to six-week-old infants will be tested for efficacy in infants whose mothers were vaccinated during pregnancy.
A University of Auckland researcher suspects that antibodies transmitted from mother to baby disease could interfere with the infant's primary immune response during the first pertussis vaccination, which takes place in New Zealand at six weeks.
Dr. Helen Petousis-Harris has just received a $ 210,000 grant from PHARMAC and the New Zealand Health Research Council (HRC) to test the protective effect that maternal vaccination has on whooping cough, taking into account account of the overall additive effect of the first baby vaccine.
In most other high-income countries, the vaccine is given at eight weeks and there is evidence that at this age, combined with maternal vaccination, it provides additional protection in infants. According to Dr. Petousis-Harris, however, a major question remains about the benefits or risks of vaccination: "Giving vaccines to pregnant women is a very effective way to protect babies during their first weeks of life and many more. countries have adopted this strategy. But we may be able to further improve efficiency by examining how we time things. "
" Somewhere, there is a place where the benefits of maternal and child immunization can be maximized. "
His findings will inform the national immunization schedule and may affect when infants receive pertussis vaccine.
PHARMAC Medical Director Dr. John Wyeth says PHARMAC is happy to To support this research
"The goal of our partnership with the Health Research Council is to support research that helps people make the most of the drugs that are funded. the optimal use of the pertussis vaccine and understanding the optimal timing of the vaccination.This research could ultimately shed light on how this vaccine will be funded for babies in the future, and help health professionals and patients to make informed decisions, "says Dr. Wyeth
a decision-aid tool to help patients with rheumatoid arthritis to make therapeutic choices.
Biological drugs specifically target the inflammatory pathways responsible for joint inflammation, a critical clinical factor in rheumatoid arthritis. They have revolutionized the management of the disease, but they have adverse effects and a high price, says Professor Carlo Marra of the University of Otago, recipient of the grant.
Recent evidence suggests that some people respond well to the agents can actually stop using them and keep their rheumatoid arthritis in check. However, some will relapse and their arthritis symptoms will come back to the end of treatment.
Helping patients to choose to reduce their treatment (or to continue it) once remission is achieved, this is the goal of the Marra Decision Tool.
"Patients must decide if they want to run the risk of having an arthritis attack against the prospect of being free of potentially toxic drugs," he said. "This tool helps them understand the options available, including their disadvantages and benefits, and weights them individually according to their values."
Kath McPherson, Executive Director of the HRC, says innovations like Decision support not only helps more control over their health and wellness decisions, but should help ensure that medications are used as and when needed.
"These two projects offer a fresh look at how people can use the available treatments to maximize the potential benefit."
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