National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance
This page is a research page on Kids Research. See more on the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) website.
NCIRS website
The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) is a world-leading immunisation research organisation located at Kids Research based at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. We conduct an extensive program of clinical trials and collaborative epidemiologic and social research, bringing together a diverse range of experts in public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, paediatrics, internal medicine, infectious diseases and behavioural science to advance immunisation policy and practice.
Our research and surveillance activities include the surveillance of vaccine preventable diseases, monitoring of vaccination coverage, vaccination program evaluations, vaccine safety monitoring and social research.
Objectives
We undertake objective expert research and provide trusted advice, services and support to our partners at local, national and international levels. Our unique position and mandate as a national centre enable us to have a wide-ranging impact on vaccine preventable diseases and immunisation policy in Australia and beyond. Among many other activities, our research and surveillance activities include:
- Providing scientific research support to the Australian government entities.
- Immunisation research working towards optimal immunisation coverage in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Island peoples.
- Evaluating vaccination programs to understand success and challenges of program implementation and its impact on disease burden.
- Large scale population health studies using linked data to inform policy development and immunisation program evaluation.
Impact
- We have been involved in research and surveillance activities surrounding vaccine effectiveness, SARS-CoV-2 transmission studies, vaccine safety (including COVID-19 vaccines) and regional and global collaborations strengthening national immunisation programs beyond Australia.
- We conduct ongoing surveillance on immunisation programs across Australia, including vaccine programs for COVID-19, Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and Q fever.
- We contribute to the Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation (SKAI) program, providing high-quality evidence-based immunisation information across the lifespan for public and healthcare providers to increase vaccine uptake and education.
