The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) is looking for children and young people aged 3 to 14 years to participate in a new study investigating pharyngitis (sore throats) and how to prevent them.
Sore throats are commonly caused by a bacteria called Streptococcus A. When left untreated, Group A Streptococcus (Strep A) infections can develop into severe, life-threatening diseases and are a major global cause of illness and death each year.
The Australian Strep A Vaccine Initiative (ASAVI), co-led by researchers at The Murdoch Children’s and The Telethon Kids Institute, would like to learn more about sore throats and how to prevent them by developing a world-first Strep A vaccine.
For more information or to speak with a member of the team, click here to provide your contact details.
Alternatively, you may contact the MCRI study team via:
0447 836 782 or
In 2021, researchers successfully developed a new Strep A human challenge model, paving the way to test vaccines against the common deadly bacteria that causes sore throats, scarlet fever and skin sores.
“The global burden of Strep A is an unmet public health challenge. We hope this research will accelerate the development of a vaccine and move things forward to bigger field trials,” MCRI Professor Andrew Steer said.
“A vaccine for Strep A will save hundreds of thousands of lives every year and prevent millions of infections that send children and adults to the hospital or doctor.”
