Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) and the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) have joined forces to better develop and deliver effective vaccines across the Indo-Pacific and the wider region.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed that will bring MCRI's world-leading infectious disease and global health researchers together with the international reach of IVI to enable the acceleration of vaccines for many neglected infectious diseases impacting low and middle-income counties.
Headquartered in South Korea, IVI is an international organisation dedicated to discovering, developing and delivering vaccines, that target infectious diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, COVID-19 and Strep A. IVI, has more than 40 member nations including Sweden, India, Finland, Rwanda, and Thailand, in addition to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The MOU follows several successful international collaborations between MCRI and IVI. The Typhoid in Fiji-Vaccination towards Elimination (Ty-FIVE) project, which also involved the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, focused on the prevention of typhoid by vaccinating those aged nine months to 65 years old in Fiji's northern division. The data collected will inform new vaccine guidelines for endemic infectious diseases in low-income countries.
MCRI and IVI have also teamed up as part of the Strep A Vaccine Global Consortium (SAVAC), which is working towards developing an effective and affordable vaccine against strep throat and its complications, including rheumatic heart disease.
MCRI Professor Andrew Steer, Director of Infection, Immunity and Global Health, said the MOU presented another powerful opportunity to make a difference, especially in the Indo-Pacific.
Image: Professor Andrew Steer
"MCRI is home to an exciting vaccine research and global health program and we are looking forward to expanding our collaboration with IVI, a global leader in vaccine research in low resource countries," he said.
"This will only enhance the way we interact with government, community and industry and strategically build on our existing work in long-term disease prevention."
IVI Director General Jerome H. Kim said, "This partnership with MCRI represents an important step forward in tackling infectious diseases that continue to cause significant public health burdens across the Indo-Pacific and beyond. By combining IVI's reach and vaccine development expertise with MCRI's cutting-edge research, we can accelerate the development and delivery of vaccines that are urgently needed in low- and middle-income countries. Together, we are committed to ensuring that life-saving vaccines reach the communities that need them most."
