vaccine – Bianca Nogrady

Measles: Australia at risk of losing herd immunity, study suggests

August 26, 2026August 26, 2026No Comments

From the BMJ, 24 August 2026: Australia’s hard fought herd immunity to measles is under threat, with a study finding that its population level immunity is hovering just above the World Health Organization’s recommended threshold. Australia introduced measles vaccination in 1968, starting with a single vaccine dose for children aged 12-23 months. In 1993 the … Continue reading Measles: Australia at risk of losing herd immunity, study suggests

Mounting evidence suggests Sputnik COVID vaccine is safe and effective

July 7, 2021No Comments

From Nature News, 7 July 2021: Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik, has been the subject of fascination and controversy since the Russian government authorized its use last year, before early-stage trial results were published. Evidence from Russia and many other countries now suggests it is safe and effective — but questions remain about the quality of … Continue reading Mounting evidence suggests Sputnik COVID vaccine is safe and effective

Why aren’t kids getting vaccinated?

February 9, 2021No Comments

From MIT Technology Review, 8 February 2021: While much of the world is engaged in a frantic scramble to get vaccinated against covid-19, there’s one group noticeably absent from the queues of people at vaccine clinics: children. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is still approved for use only in those aged 16 years or older, and the … Continue reading Why aren’t kids getting vaccinated?

Whooping cough vaccine: how well is it working?

August 14, 2012No Comments

From ABC Health and Wellbeing, 14 August 2012: New research shows the current whooping cough vaccine is not as effective as its predecessor, so what’s the best way to protect children against this potentially deadly infection? A highly contagious disease, caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis, whooping cough is known for its severe coughing attacks … Continue reading Whooping cough vaccine: how well is it working?

Whooping cough vaccine weaker but safer

August 10, 2012No Comments

From ABC Science, News in Science, 8 August 2012: The current whooping cough vaccine offers less protection against infection but is much safer than the older whole-cell vaccine, Australian researchers have found. The study examined Queensland immunisation and disease registers, which included more than 40,000 children born in 1998 who had received the vaccine. They … Continue reading Whooping cough vaccine weaker but safer