Infant volunteers required: Can a vaccine protect kids against allergy?

Telethon Kids Institute is looking for pregnant women or healthy newborns less than 12 weeks of age for our OPTIMUM study.

Allergies are on the rise in Australia, with 3 out of every 10 babies born each year developing a food-related allergy or eczema by their first birthday. The OPTIMUM Study is investigating if giving a dose of ‘whole-cell’ whooping cough vaccine between 6 and 12 weeks of age, instead of the ’acellular’ whooping cough vaccine can help protect young children against allergy.

In the OPTIMUM study, half of the babies will receive the ‘whole-cell’ whooping cough vaccine, and the other half will receive the ‘acellular’ whooping cough vaccine at two months of age.

• Participation in the study will be for 19 months and will include 8 visits to the clinic at Perth Children’s Hospital, starting when your baby is 6-12 weeks old for their first vaccinations.
• Babies will receive all of their routine vaccines at clinic visits up to 19 months of age.
• All babies will be assessed for possible allergies by undergoing a skin prick test at 18 months of age.

Blood samples will be collected from infants in this study to better understand how immune response to vaccination protect against whooping cough and may protect against food allergy and eczema.

Stage one of the study will involve 150 healthy babies aged 6-12 weeks of age, (born after 37 weeks gestation) living in the Perth region.

Participants must not have:

• Serious medical issues.
• Diagnosed food allergies or eczema.
• Received their 6-8 week vaccines.

If you are currently pregnant or have recently had a baby and are interested in being involved, please call us on: 0400 450 240 or email us at OPTIMUM@telethonkids.org.au

Approval to conduct this research has been granted by the Child and Adolescent Health Service (CAHS) Human Research Ethics Committee. Any person considering participation in this research project, or agreeing to participate, may raise any questions or issues with the researchers at any time.

If you have concerns about the receipt of this e-mail please contact Murdoch University's media team at news@murdoch.edu.au.

If you have any concerns regarding this study, you can contact the Executive Director of Medical Services at the Perth Children’s Hospital on (08) 6456 2222. Your concerns will be drawn to the attention of the Ethics Committee who is monitoring the study.