Page 15 - CIRN Annual Report 2017-18
P. 15

UPDATE FROM THE NETWORK LEAD
             DR. KARINA TOP

                     Vaccines are among the most eff ective ways   The network also supports two multi-centre studies:
                     to prevent infection. Before vaccines are
                     introduced into publicly-funded immunization   1.  Vaccinating children after chemotherapy for
                     programs they are carefully tested to ensure   acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is studying
                     they are safe and eff ective, with benefi ts     how well vaccines work and how safe they are
                     outweighing risks. However, a few people       in children with leukemia who have fi nished their
                     will experience an adverse event (side eff ect)   chemotherapy. Enrollment is complete and results
                     after receiving a vaccine and such events      are expected in fall 2018.
                     may raise concerns in children, parents and   2.  Immunization practices in children with primary
                     vaccine providers about the safety of future   immune defi ciencies (PID) aims to describe
             immunizations. Researchers and vaccine providers       vaccination practices of immunologists,
             have more to learn about who is most at risk of        pediatricians and infectious disease specialists
             experiencing another adverse event after their next    caring for children with PID through a survey
             vaccine or the best way to vaccinate those people.     (results expected Spring 2018), and a review of
                                                                    medical charts of children diagnosed with PID
             The Special Immunization Clinic Network (SIC) was      before age seven (results expected in fall 2018).
             established across Canada in 2013 by infectious disease
             specialists and allergists to provide expert advice to   In 2017, the SIC network partnered with Public Health
             patients who had experienced adverse events following   Ontario (Dr. Shelley Deeks) and Peel Public Health
             immunization and those who have medical conditions   Region (Dr. Lawrence Loh) to deliver a successful
             that may aff ect their immunizations. There are 11 special   workshop on Management of Adverse Events Following
             immunization clinics across six Canadian provinces:   Immunization for immunization program managers and
             British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Alberta   medical offi  cers of health in the Greater Toronto Area.
             (two clinics), Ontario (three clinics), and Quebec (three   Dr. Joseline Zafack (PhD Candidate), led a systematic
             clinics). SIC physicians conduct standard patient   review of the risk of recurrence of adverse events
             assessments, and evaluate vaccine safety, eff ectiveness   following immunization that was published in the journal
             and coverage in immunocompromised patients. Results   Pediatrics and led the update and revision of the SIC
             to date indicate that the risk of a recurrence of the   Network’s management guide.
             adverse event is low in most patients and that such
             recurrences are generally milder than the fi rst event.




                                                CO-INVESTIGATORS



            Zainab Abdurrahman           Gaston de Serres             Sasson Lavi            Marie-Noëlle Primeau
             McMaster’s Children’s         Université Laval     The Hospital for Sick Children  Montreal Children’s Hospital
                   Hospital              Anne Des Roches           Athena McConnell               Earl Rubin
               Adelle Atkinson           CHU Sainte-Justine      University of Saskatchewan     McGill University
          The Hospital for Sick Children  Jean Philippe Drolet        Shelly McNeil              Soren Gantt
              Francois Boucher               CHU Laval              Dalhousie University   University of British Columbia
                Université Laval          Scott Halperin              Shaun Morris           Manish Sadarangani

              Catherine Burton           Dalhousie University     Hospital for Sick Children  University of British Columbia
              University of Alberta       Kyla Hildebrand            Francisco Noya             Bruce Tapiéro
               Rupesh Chawla          BC Children’s and Women’s      McGill University         CHU Sainte-Justine
              University of Calgary           Hospital                 Taj Jadavji              Wendy Vaudry
            Cora Constantinescu            Simon Hotte              University of Calgary      University of Alberta
              University of Calgary  Children’s Hospital of Eastern   Jeffrey Pernica         Yarden Yanishevsky
                                              Ontario
               Shelley Deeks                                        McMaster University      Edmonton Clinic Health
             Public Health Ontario        Gina Lacuesta             Anne Pham-Huy                  Academy
                                          IWK Health Center         University of Ottawa


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