Dr Lien Anh Ha Do wins Thrasher Research Fund Award

Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) Dr Lien Anh Ha Do will lead a clinical trial in Vietnam to improve protection against measles among babies at highest risk of severe disease.

Dr Do has received a $576,512 Thrasher Research Fund Award to investigate whether giving the measles vaccine earlier in life can safely protect infants when they are most vulnerable.

Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world. Despite the availability of an effective vaccine for decades, measles cases and deaths have increased globally in recent years, including in countries where the disease had previously been eliminated.

Dr Do said infants were particularly vulnerable to this highly contagious disease.

“In many countries, including Vietnam, the first routine measles vaccine is given at nine months of age, leaving younger babies unprotected when they are at greatest risk of severe illness and death,” she said.

Image: Dr Lien Anh Ha Do

“This study will assess whether administering the first measles vaccine earlier, at four or six months of age, can provide safe and effective protection for infants before they reach the current vaccination age.”

Through this research, Dr Do and her teams in MCRI’s New Vaccines and Vaccine Immunology groups hope the findings will build on their previous systematic review on earlier measles vaccination and have global impact. They hope to provide evidence to guide national and international immunisation policies and inform decisions by health authorities in low- and middle-income countries.

“This research will generate critical data to support doctors, nurses and public health leaders to better protect infants from severe measles during early life,” Dr Do said.

New Vaccines Group Leader Professor Kim Mulholland said, “By addressing a key gap in measles prevention, the study has the potential to save lives, reduce childhood illness and strengthen global efforts to control one of the world’s deadliest childhood infections.”

The Thrasher Research Fund provides significant grants for clinical paediatric research aimed at improving children's health, focusing on practical, innovative solutions for diseases.

Learn more about Dr Do’s measles vaccine work and MCRI’s Infection, Immunity and Global Health research.