Research team
Pregnancy and Infant Preparedness Platform in Europe (PIPELINE).
Abstract
Recent epidemics have highlighted how infectious disease outbreaks can severely and sometimes uniquely affect the short and longer term health of pregnant women and their infants. Nevertheless, these groups are invariably excluded from pandemic preparedness and response research, as during the COVID-19 pandemic. The PIPELINE project's ambition is to develop a dedicated pregnancy-infant preparedness platform for adaptive trials, to improve pandemic preparedness for these underserved populations. Our work focuses on understanding the factors that influence pregnant women's participation in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine trials and developing effective communication strategies to engage them in vaccine clinical research. Specifically, our objectives within the PIPELINE project are to: 1. Investigate the facilitators influencing pregnant women's participation in RSV vaccine trials and their preferences for, and the potential impact of, different communication techniques. 2. Explore the acceptability of various infant RSV prevention strategies across five European countries by investigating the perceptions of pregnant women, young parents, and healthcare providers, to inform the development of effective communication strategies and policies for promoting RSV prevention. 3. Identify information gaps and tools needed by policymakers and NITAG members to make informed decisions on RSV vaccination recommendations for pregnant women By addressing these objectives, we aim to provide essential insights that will improve the recruitment and communication strategies for pregnant women in future vaccine trials and inform policies for more effective RSV prevention. Our efforts align with the broader objectives of the PIPELINE project to strengthen pandemic preparedness for vulnerable populations and contribute to more effective management of infectious diseases. The PIPELINE project's objectives are aligned with Horizon Europe Work Programme 2023-24 Health Destination 3 "Tackling diseases and reducing disease burden" as our work will reduce the health burden of disease through more effective management, lead to improved preparedness of health systems to respond to health emergencies, and reduce citizens' risk of, and increase their knowledge about, health threats of epidemics.Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Maertens Kirsten
- Co-promoter: Hendrickx Greet
Research team(s)
Project type(s)
- Research Project
PReparing for Optimal Phase III/IV maTErnal Group B StreptococCal vaccine Trials in Africa (PROTECT).
Abstract
Two vaccines designed for pregnant women, to protect their unborn infant, are entering late phase development and will prevent infections from group B Streptococcus and respiratory syncytial virus, respectively. For these vaccines to be approved, the vaccine must work effectively without causing any unwanted responses. To implement these vaccines in countries with low resources, healthcare systems must be strengthened by improving vaccine safety monitoring and surveillance of infection, and advancing vaccine delivery, vaccine confidence, and patient participation. The rapid rollout of electronic health records (EHR) in Kenya, Mozambique, Malawi, and Uganda offers an opportunity to use routine data to strengthen reporting of rates of adverse pregnancy, neonatal and infant outcomes, and any adverse events following immunisation; this will be imperative in informing and preparing for future large scale vaccination rollout campaigns. Our approach will address key gaps in EHR to develop pregnancy registries embedded within national reporting systems to establish this data, including baseline rates of pregnancy and infancy outcomes for Tetanus and COVID19 vaccines currently in use. These reporting systems will allow monitoring of potential safety signals once new vaccines are introduced. Experts in EHR, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, microbiology, clinical trials, and implementation research will develop the motivation and tools needed to monitor and evaluate current and future maternal vaccines. We will work closely with the WHO, African Medicines Agency and Country Stakeholders, co-developing pregnancy registries, sentinel site microbiological surveillance systems, and maternal vaccination communications toolkits in preparation for the decade of maternal vaccines. Our programme of work culminates in a network of maternal vaccine trial sites who can rapidly evaluate vaccines in pregnancy from late-stage trials through to introduction on a national level.Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Maertens Kirsten
- Co-promoter: Hendrickx Greet
Research team(s)
Project type(s)
- Research Project