The number of children suffering from food allergies appears to have risen greatly in the last 20 years with 3 in every 10 Australian children developing either a food-related allergy or eczema.
Vaccines work by training the immune system to recognise what certain germs look like. Researchers believe some vaccines might also help to prevent allergy by making the immune system less likely to react to things that are not harmful, like food.
In the OPTIMUM Study, babies will be randomly assigned to receive either one dose of whole cell whooping cough vaccine at two months of age, followed by two doses of acellular vaccine, or just have the usual schedule of three doses of the acellular whooping cough vaccine.
Participants in the study will be followed up until they are around 18 or 19 months old to try and find out if babies who received the 'whole cell' vaccine are less likely to develop allergic conditions such as food allergy or eczema.
You may be eligible to participate in this study if you meet the following:
Participants MUST be:
Participants MUST NOT have:
If you are interested in assisting with this important and exciting area of research, and are currently pregnant or have just had a baby; please contact the study facilitator in your region:
Perth
Phone: 0400 450 240
Email: OPTIMUM@telethonkids.org.au
Web: https://infectiousdiseases.telethonkids.org.au/our-research/vaccine-trials-group/current-studies/optimum-study/
Melbourne:
Phone: 0403 292 554
Email: optimum@mcri.edu.au
Web: https://www.mcri.edu.au/research/projects/optimum-study
Sydney:
Phone: 0423 799 327
Email: SCHN-OPTIMUM@health.nsw.gov.au