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The University of ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ has secured more than $960,000 from the to lead an international project to improve the uptake of vaccinations against influenza and COVID-19 for some of our most vulnerable people – pregnant women and children with chronic health conditions.

Led by South Australian of the Year, University of ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ Professor Helen Marshall, AM, the project team includes researchers from around Australia and the UK and paediatric and obstetric specialists in hospitals in South Australia, Victoria, and Western Australia. 

Partners on the project include the Women’s and Children’s Health Network, Southern ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ Local Health Network, Northern ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ Local Health Network, SA Health and Dept. for Trade and Investment, SA Government, Victoria Dept. Health, Government of WA, and Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Professor Marshall says part of the problem is that the risks of negative health outcomes for unvaccinated pregnant women and vulnerable children are widely underestimated in the community. 

“Pregnant women are three times more likely to die from COVID-19, and with influenza, they are more than seven times more likely to be admi