Respiratory diseases that cause children to have a chronic wet cough are an important cause of poor health in children around the world. The most common of these are Protracted Bacterial Bronchitis, Bronchiectasis and Chronic Suppurative Lung Disease. Repeated respiratory flare-ups of these diseases are thought to lead to long term lung damage that can extend into adulthood. Many of these flare-ups are thought to be caused by a type of bacteria (germ) called non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi). Preventing lung infections caused by NTHi by vaccination would be an important step in helping prevent long term lung damage in children with Protracted Bacterial Bronchitis, Bronchiectasis and Chronic Suppurative Lung Disease. The CHiRRP study is being conducted in Brisbane, Sydney, Perth and the Northern Territory. Eligible children will receive either two doses of the Synflorix vaccine or a meningococcal vaccine, two months apart and will be then followed for 12 months after the second dose. Some children get the meningococcal vaccine so that we can compare the amount of flare-ups between children given the Synflorix vaccine and children who do not.

Aims:

To find out whether a vaccine called Synflorix can prevent repeated flare-ups of Protracted Bacterial Bronchitis, Bronchiectasis and Chronic Suppurative Lung Disease.

To look at the effect of the Synflorix vaccine on the amount of NTHi children have in their noses, and how well the child's immune system responds to the vaccine.

Our study found;

• Children who received the Synflorix vaccine had reduced exacerbations, less respiratory symptoms and required fewer short-course antibiotics.
• The effect of Synflorix on NTHi was complicated by the higher antibiotic use and was not examined further.
• Children developed an antibody response to the vaccine.

The main outcome has now been published doi:10.1080/21645515.2018.1488562

Chief Investigators: O’Grady KA, Chang AB, Grimwood K, Morris P, Torzillo PJ, Smith-Vaughan H, Mulholland E, Cripps A, Wood N, Revell A

Funding: NHMRC