The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases (NCIRS) was established at the The Children's Hospital at Westmead by the Commonwealth Department of Health in August 1997, to carry out research and give independent expert advice about all aspects of diseases which can be prevented by vaccination, particularly in children. It provides a national perspective on social and other issues related to immunisation.
NCIRS's staff brings together a group of experts and postgraduate students in public health, preventive medicine, paediatrics, infectious disease, epidemiology and laboratory science.
To read more about the Centre and our activities, download the latest Newsletter.
The Centre's core business includes:
- epidemiology and surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases and adverse events after immunisation
- sero-epidemiology and laboratory research
- analysis of data collected by the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR)
- behavioural and attitudinal research
- impact of interventions and economic evaluations
- disease modelling and program evaluation
- communication and postgraduate training
- national policy development
- clinical trials and clinical research
NCIRS' main achievements during its first 3 years (1997-2000) are described in its Three Year Report. This, and subsequent work, included:
- drafting the national measles surveillance strategy, and evaluating the very successful 1998 Australian Measles Control Campaign. This led to the measles-mumps-rubella campaign in young adults.
- publishing a systematic review of immunisation coverage in Australian children 1990-1998.
- developing quality indicators for the ACIR, and using ACIR data to map current immunisation coverage in Australia.
- completing a large case-control study of invasive pneumococcal disease.
- showing, through cost-effectiveness studies, that varicella (chicken pox) vaccination would only be cost-effective if societal costs were included, and that inactivated polio vaccine would only be cost-effective if it were provided in a combined formulation.
- establishing national serosurveys, to determine community levels of immunity to diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella (German measles) and chicken pox (varicella) across all age groups.
- coordinating workshops about whooping cough (pertussis), measles, factors influencing immunisation uptake, the epidemiology of pneumococcal disease, meningococcal disease, and prediction of future disease patterns.
- showing that pertussis in adults can be accurately diagnosed by blood testing (serology); that adults are important in the spread of pertussis, and their immunity can be successfully boosted using the new acellular pertussis vaccine; studying the effectiveness of pertussis vaccine in children; and documenting outbreaks in schoolchildren.
- documenting adverse effects after BCG vaccine.
The NCIRS communicates by teleconferences, consultations, and the media. It shares its research findings through reports and teleconferences, scientific publications, and presentations at national & international conferences.
NCIRS participates in immunisation and surveillance policy and planning through its representatives on many policy and planning groups, and has established memoranda of understanding with the University of Sydney, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the NSW Department of Health and the Cooperative Research Centre for Vaccine Technology, Brisbane.
* Contact details
The National Centre for Immunisation Research (NCIRS)
The Children's Hospital at Westmead
Locked Bag 4001
Westmead NSW 2145
Phone: (612) 9845 1433
Fax: (612) 9845 1418
* Please note that NCIRS is a national research centre. If you have a query regarding immunisation, please contact your GP or local immunisation provider, the National Immunisation Hotline on 1800 671 811, or your local Public Health Unit or State/Territory Health Department (see Links page).