A new vaccine for pneumococcal disease will be tested under an international trial aiming to provide greater protection to babies against the common infection that causes pneumonia, sinusitis and meningitis.
The Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) led study is evaluating a promising vaccine developed to protect against 21 strains of pneumococcus, up from the current 13 strains included in the National Immunisation Program (NIP).
The Melbourne arm of the randomised controlled trial is recruiting 50 families with heathy two month olds who haven't had their first routine vaccinations.
Participants will receive four doses of the vaccine at two, four, and six months of age and a booster dose at 12-15 months. All recommended childhood vaccines on the NIP will be given to babies during the study alongside the pneumococcal vaccine.
Pneumococcal disease can lead to serious illness and death among children under two years of age. In 2024, 602 cases of invasive pneumococcal disease were reported in Victoria, 373 of these were among 0-4 year olds.
Vaccine and Immunisation Research Group (VIRGo) leader MCRI Professor Margie Danchin said having a vaccine that could offer broader protection was crucial to protecting more children from severe preventable infections and death.
Image: Professor Margie Danchin
"Pneumococcal infections are caused by a common bacteria that lives in the nose and throat and can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia and severe infections of the bloodstream and lining of the brain," she said.
"There are more than 90 different strains of the pneumococcal bacteria and no vaccine is able to protect against every strain. But our trial of this new pneumococcal vaccine, which has shown good results in earlier studies and will protect against 21 strains, has the potential to save more lives.
"We always need to ensure that children and families are being offered the best protection against severe disease with new and improved vaccines. However, we need to demonstrate that they are safe and can trigger a protective antibody response in young children before they can be introduced into the national immunisation schedule."
Lisa, whose daughter Lucy, 3 months, is taking part in the trial, said she welcomed the opportunity to play a part in finding a more effective pneumococcal vaccine.
"Being a nurse, I know how super important vaccination is to keeping my baby safe," she said. As a parent of a young baby, especially in the winter months, you just want as much protection as possible.
Image: Lisa and Patrick with their daughter Lucy
"Without trials like this we wouldn't discover better, more effective vaccines. Research is what helps to safe proof our children for the future."
The trial is aiming to recruit more than 1600 babies across Australia, the US, Puerto Rico, Honduras, South Korea and Thailand.
Participants will be enrolled in the study for up to 19 months, which will also include three blood tests.
