Location:
The Kirby Institute Level 6 Seminar Room Wallace Wurth Building UNSW Australia Sydney NSW 2052
Open to
All
Contact for enquiries
Rata Joseph +61 (0)2 9385 0900 rjoseph@kirby.unsw.edu.au
The Kirby Institute is pleased to present:
Ms Amalie Dyda-Senior Research Officer, Kirby Institute; PhD Student, School of Public Health and Community Medicine
"Influenza and pertussis vaccination of older adults."
Abstract:
Influenza and pertussis (whooping cough) cause considerable morbidity and mortality in Australia each year, with rates of hospitalisation and death higher in those aged >60 years compared to other adults. The importance of protecting older Australians from vaccine preventable diseases will increase as the population continues to age.
Currently, the National Immunisation Program funds targeted influenza vaccination for adults <65 years at higher risk of infection, such as those with circulatory and respiratory conditions, and universal funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people >15 years and people aged >65 years. Pertussis vaccination is recommended for any adult wanting to reduce their chances of becoming infected, but not funded apart from some subgroups (e.g. “cocooning” strategies for those in proximity to infants).
In the absence of an adult vaccination register, other sources are required to monitor uptake and predictors of vaccination. In this seminar, we describe findings from the 45 and Up study, a large prospective cohort study investigating healthy aging. We linked the 45 and Up cohort with other routinely collected datasets. The linked data were used to investigate alternate methods of measuring vaccination coverage, and predictors of influenza and pertussis vaccination using chi-squared tests and logistic regression.
Biography:
Amalie Dyda completed a Master of Applied Epidemiology at ANU in 2010. She is currently undertaking a PhD investigating vaccine preventable diseases in adults, linking data from the 45 and Up study with other routinely collected datasets. She also works part time as senior researcher in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program in the Kirby Institute for infection and immunity in society, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW. Her primary focus is working as the data manager for the STRIVEplus study, a randomised community trial of STI quality improvement in 65 remote communities.