Volunteers needed for WACIC Biobank COVID-19 Immunity study
24/03/2023
Overseen by a team of experts led by Dr Dominic Mallon and Dr Michael O’Sullivan, the Western Australian COVID-19 Immunity Collaborative (WACIC) Biobank study is a collaborative effort between PathWest, the South Metropolitan Health Service (SMHS), the Child and Adolescent Health Service (CAHS), Telethon Kids Institute, and other health and community organisations.
Awarded through a health research platform grant in 2021, the timing of the Stan Perron Charitable Trust Foundation’s support was crucial in allowing WACIC to begin expanding the Biobank repository to children and adolescents. The WACIC Biobank is providing data that will allow scientists to better understand how the vaccines work in protecting against emerging variants of COVID-19 like the Omicron strain, which may pose more significant risks for children and adolescents. In addition to providing insight into how the immune responses of children and adolescents differ from those of adults, it is hoped that research facilitated by the Biobank will act as a guide for long-term strategies aimed at protecting the Western Australian community from COVID-19, for example, by determining which groups should be prioritised in future vaccination or treatment programs.
The study team is currently seeking children and teenagers who have tested positive to COVID-19 and/or who have received or are intending to receive one or more COVID-19 vaccinations. Participants will be asked to provide a blood and saliva sample at one of the participating sites or at any PathWest collection Centre, over a period of 2 years.
Should your child or a child you know wish to participate in the WACIC Biobank study, please register their interest at https://redcap.link/WACICBiobank.
For more information on the WACIC Biobank study, please visit https://pathwest.health.wa.gov.au/WACIC or contact the study team by email or phone, 0478 622 979.
Last Updated:
24/03/2023