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PIFA

Status

  • Recruitment Closed

Study short name

PIFA

Study full name

Pertussis and Food Allergy; a case-cohort study of the association between pertussis vaccination in infancy and the risk of IgE-mediated food allergy

Principle Investigator

Tom Snelling

Administering Institute

Telethon Kids Institute

Major funding source

National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)

Study focus

Prevention

Study design

Observational

Main study aim

To determine whether the whole cell pertussis vaccine was protective against the development of food allergy.

Additional study information

In the late 1990s the type of pertussis vaccine (against whooping cough) used in Australia was changed from a whole cell vaccine to an acellular vaccine. During this time period a rapid increase in the number of reported food allergy cases among children was also observed. This is a retrospective study looking at children diagnosed with food allergy and they type of vaccine they received. This study aims to see if whole cell vaccine was protective against the development of food allergy. If this older vaccine is found to be associated with protection against allergy this is likely to impact vaccine policy in Australia and around the world.

Study population

All cases and controls must be registered on ACIR as having had a first dose of any pertussis containing vaccine before age 16 weeks and during the period of time in which the transition between aP and wP vaccine occurred; birth dates within 1st January 1997 and 31st December 1999 depending on the jurisdiction. For NSW, VIC, QLD and WA birth cohort is from 1st June 1998 – 30th October 1999 and for SA, to 1st April 1997 – 30th April 1999.

Study status

Recruitment completed March 2018. Data collection completed March 2018.

Study contact: [email protected]

Study website: https://www.telethonkids.org.au/our-research/early-environment/infection-and-vaccines/infectious-disease-implementation-research/expired-projects/case-cohort-study/

ClinicalTrials.gov: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02490007

Main Publication(s):

  1. Estcourt MJ, Marsh JA, Campbell DE, Gold MS, Allen KJ, Richmond P, et al. Protocol for Pertussis Immunisation and Food Allergy (PIFA): a case-control study of the association between pertussis vaccination in infancy and the risk of IgE-mediated food allergy among Australian children. BMJ Open. 2018;8(1):e020232. doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020232.
  2. Estcourt MJ, Campbell DE, Gold MS, Richmond P, Allen KJ, Quinn HE, et al. Whole-Cell Pertussis Vaccination and Decreased Risk of IgE-Mediated Food Allergy: A Nested Case-Control Study. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2019. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaip.2019.12.020.

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