Latest news with #KirbyInstitute
ABC News
11-05-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Women living with HIV no longer a priority group, despite higher risks of late diagnosis and lack of specialised support
Women living with HIV are calling on medical professionals to normalise HIV testing for women and increase access to support services in regional areas, amid concerns they have been de-prioritised by the health sector. Human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, spreads through bodily fluids and attacks the body's immune system, increasing a patient's viral load. It can be treated with medications that reduce and suppress the viral load, meaning the virus no longer poses a risk to a person's health and cannot be transmitted. But getting treatment begins with diagnosis. New data from the University of New South Wales's (UNSW) Kirby Institute shows over half of the women living with HIV in the Northern Territory and Western Australia were diagnosed late, years after experiencing a deterioration of their health. Nationally, 38 per cent of women living with the virus are diagnosed late. Skye McGregor, an epidemiologist at the Kirby Institute specialising in HIV surveillance and research, said women were much more likely to experience late diagnosis of HIV. She said it could mean someone was unknowingly living with HIV for years, to a point the virus could have seriously damaged their body. In the 1990s, Del Batton had only heard of HIV in passing. "Like many people, I always understood it basically was a gay disease and never considered I might be at risk," the NT resident said. As a busy working mother with a young daughter, it was only when she began the process of IVF that she was tested for the first time. "The first thing they do when you set out to do IVF is they do a raft of blood tests," she said. "They came back and said 'you have tested positive for HIV'. "I went sort of, 'wow'." Despite battling a month of illness a year before her diagnosis, she said her doctor had not considered a HIV test at the time. "Why would he?" Ms Batton said. "I was happily married, had a four-year-old daughter and was trying to have a second child." Almost 20 years on, HIV researchers say the primary routine HIV screening for women is still through antenatal care in pregnancy. Now an advocate, Ms Batton said reasons women were typically diagnosed late included medical professionals' biases around the virus and women having less access than men to information. Last year, the ninth national HIV strategy removed women as a priority group for HIV elimination strategies instead grouping them under 'All people living with HIV'. Dr McGregor said while there were higher rates of HIV in gay and bisexual men, women living with HIV faced unique risks that were not being sufficiently addressed. She said the lack of testing for women meant their rates of HIV had not decreased as much as it had for men. "At a 10-year timeframe we can see that among men, there's been a 36 per cent decrease in HIV diagnosis in this time versus only a 6 per cent decrease among women," she said. Dr McGregor said women were also under-represented in HIV research, which had impacted the quality of health information available to them. "We have a lot of work to do around stigma and discrimination," she said. "HIV is still a stigmatised infection, and we need to work further as a society to understand that this really prevents people from getting tested." Jane Costello was diagnosed with HIV more than 20 years ago. She now runs one of Australia's largest support networks for people living with the virus, Positive Living NSW, which provides women-focused support groups. The groups provide support to women living with HIV in areas like reproductive health, dating, pregnancy and menopause. The NT has recently taken steps towards starting a women's focused support group, but Ms Batton said it was often difficult to get funding. Women in other regional and remote areas are also hoping to start groups, but cash flow into HIV support organisations across Australia has run low in recent years. Ms Costello and Ms Batton are both calling for more funding for HIV support services for women, and more targeted awareness campaigns. "If we normalise testing, it will make this just seem like a routine part of healthcare," Ms Costello said. Ms Batton just wanted women to know a HIV diagnosis was not the end of their lives.
Hans India
30-04-2025
- Health
- Hans India
Australian researchers find same arm for both shots boosts vaccine response
Receiving a vaccine booster in the same arm as the first dose triggers a faster and stronger immune response and helps the body build protection faster, according to new research. The findings could help improve vaccine strategies and may eventually lead to vaccines that need fewer boosters, Xinhua news agency reported. The study, which was led by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney in Australia finds that the immune system responds more quickly when both doses are given in the same arm. That's because immune cells in nearby lymph nodes, which are the body's infection-fighting hubs, become "primed" after the first shot. When the booster arrives in the same spot, these cells spring into action and help produce stronger antibodies, the team explained in the paper, published in the journal Cell. Researchers discovered this effect first in mice, then confirmed it in a clinical study involving 30 people who received the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. Those who had both doses in the same arm developed faster and more effective protection, especially against Covid-19 variants like Delta and Omicron. "This is a fundamental discovery in how the immune system organizes itself to respond better to external threats," said Tri Phan, director of the Precision Immunology Programme at the Garvan Institute. While both groups ended up with similar antibody levels after four weeks, the same-arm group gained protection more quickly, a potential game-changer during pandemic outbreaks. "If you've had your Covid jabs in different arms, don't worry, our research shows that over time the difference in protection diminishes," said the study's co-senior author Mee Ling Munier from the Kirby Institute. But during a pandemic, even a few days can make a big difference, said Munier
India Today
29-04-2025
- Health
- India Today
Left or right arm? Study reveals why location of injecting the vaccine matters
Australian researchers have revealed that receiving a vaccine booster in the same arm as the original dose can trigger a quicker and more effective immune findings of their study, published in the journal Cell, were led by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the Kirby Institute at UNSW discovered that specialised immune cells, called macrophages, are 'primed' inside the lymph nodes nearest to the injection site after the first dose. These cells then help position memory B cells - a critical part of the immune system - to respond faster when a second dose is given in the same "This is a fundamental discovery in how the immune system organises itself to respond better to external threats. Nature has come up with this brilliant system and we're just now beginning to understand it," said Tri Phan from the Garvan VACCINE LOCATION MATTERSVaccines work by introducing a harmless form of a virus or bacteria into the body, teaching the immune system to recognise and fight the vaccine is administered, it travels to nearby lymph nodes - the body's immune training hubs. Memory B cells, which help produce antibodies when the body sees the same virus again, are often found in the lymph node closest to where the vaccine was injected. Vaccines work by introducing a harmless form of a virus or bacteria into the body, teaching the immune system to recognise and fight it. (Phot: Getty Images) advertisementUsing advanced imaging tools, researchers at Garvan found that these memory B cells move to the outer areas of the lymph node, where they interact with macrophages already trained by the first the booster is given in the same arm, the 'primed' macrophages quickly react and activate the memory B cells to produce stronger antibodies."Macrophages are known for clearing up infections, but here they're also organising the next immune response," said Rama Dhenni, co-author of the FROM CLINICAL TRIALSTo see if the effect was the same in humans, researchers conducted a study with 30 participants receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Those who got both doses in the same arm had faster and more effective antibody responses, especially in the first week after the second shot."These early antibodies were also better at neutralising variants like Delta and Omicron," said Dr Mee Ling Munier from the Kirby both groups had similar antibody levels by four weeks, scientists say that earlier protection could be critical during outbreaks."This simple strategy, using the same arm, might help build community-level protection faster," said Dr hope the findings will inform future vaccination strategies and possibly reduce the number of boosters needed.
7NEWS
29-04-2025
- Health
- 7NEWS
Getting two COVID vaccinations in the same arm helps immune system respond to disease quicker, study finds
Using the same arm for a booster vaccine as for a first dose may help the immune system respond effectively to a disease outbreak. A study published on Tuesday detailed a clinical trial where most volunteers received two vaccination jabs in one arm, and the rest switched arms between shots. Those who received their booster dose in the same arm as their first had produced neutralising antibodies significantly faster than those who had their second shot in the opposite arm, the researchers found. The trial involved 30 volunteers who were injected with the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine for COVID-19. Immune cells in the lymph node near the injection site activated after the initial shot, according to the study led by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the Kirby Institute at the University of NSW. These became primed to boost the immune response after the second shot was administered in the same arm. The study's co-senior author Tri Phan, director of Garvan's precision immunology program, hoped the evidence would refine vaccination approaches. 'This is a fundamental discovery in how the immune system organises itself to respond better to external threats — nature has come up with this brilliant system and we're just now beginning to understand it,' Professor Phan told AAP. Breaking down the complex study, Prof Phan said vaccines stimulate the development of immune cells that make antibodies, along with immune cells that become primed to help them. The primed cells that remember the vaccine help to make a faster response the second time around by helping memory B cells change the antibodies they make to adapt to changes in the virus. Viruses can mutate, however so can memory B cells. 'What's exciting about the research is that we showed that these other cells called macrophages, interact with these memory B cells,' Prof Phan said. 'By talking to the memory B cells, they can help direct them to mutate the receptor and make better antibodies.' While there are no official guidelines on whether you should receive your vaccine in the same arm, Prof Phan said the findings show there is a 'benefit' and offer a promising avenue for enhancing the effectiveness of vaccines. 'If we can understand how to replicate or enhance the interactions between memory B cells and these macrophages, we may be able to design next-generation vaccines that require fewer boosters,' Prof Phan said.
West Australian
28-04-2025
- Health
- West Australian
Australian research reveals getting a booster vaccine in the same arm as the first dose is more effective
Australian scientists have revealed why receiving a booster vaccine in the same arm as your first dose is more effective. The study, led by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney, offers new insight that could help improve future vaccinations. The researchers found when a booster vaccine like the Pfizer COVID vaccine was given in the same arm the body produced antibodies against the illness significantly faster than those who had the second shot in the opposite arm. The participants who had the booster vaccine in the same arm as their first dose developed antibodies — proteins that protect you from bacteria and viruses — within a week. 'By four weeks, both groups had similar antibody levels, but that early protection could be crucial during an outbreak,' Kirby Institute vaccine immunogenomics leader Mee Ling Munier said. 'If you've had your COVID jabs in different arms, don't worry our research shows that over time the difference in protection diminishes but during a pandemic, those first weeks of protection could make an enormous difference at a population level. 'The same-arm strategy could help achieve herd immunity faster — particularly important for rapidly mutating viruses where speed of response matters.' Garvan precision immunology program director Tri Phan said the findings offer a promising new approach for enhancing vaccine effectiveness. 'This is a fundamental discovery in how the immune system organises itself to respond better to external threats — nature has come up with this brilliant system and we're just now beginning to understand it,' he said. 'If we can understand how to replicate or enhance the interactions ... we may be able to design next-generation vaccines that require fewer boosters.'
