9th Annual Immunisation Forum 2025

Speaker: Prof Robert Booy

Robert Booy is honorary Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Sydney. From 2005 to 2019 he held Senior roles at NCIRS. He is a medical graduate of the University of Queensland (1984), trained in paediatrics at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Brisbane and has held a range of positions in the UK. Professor Booy’s research interests extend from understanding the genetic basis of susceptibility to, and severity of, infectious diseases, especially influenza, RSV and invasive disease caused by encapsulated organisms; the clinical, public health and social burden of these diseases; and means by which to prevent or control serious infections through vaccines, drugs and non-pharmaceutical measures. Over the past 20 years, Professor Booy has been increasingly recognised as an expert in the respiratory virus field, supervising many studies addressing the burden and prevention of influenza disease in children and adults in the UK, Australia and among Muslim pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. In addition he has led intervention studies with new vaccines, new vaccine delivery methods and alternate methods for preventing disease and transmission such as antivirals and personal protective equipment. Professor Robert Booy is a Director at the Immunisation Coalition.

Speaker: Dr Archana Koirala

Dr Archana Koirala is a Paediatric Infectious Diseases Specialist at the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, The Children Hospital at Westmead and Nepean Hospital. She is a Clinical Researcher at the University of Sydney. Her research interests are in vaccination, health equity and research translation.

Speaker: Prof Michael Murray

As the Divisional Medical Director of Continued Care and Director of Geriatric Medicine at Austin Health, Associate Professor Michael Murray AM brings extensive experience in the health, education and the aged care industry. 

With nearly 30 years involvement in geriatric care, Michael’s career highlights include extensive work in continence, public health and public policy, as well as working in education and service development.  Michael holds several University, board and committee positions with a variety of health and educational institutions Michael was the National Chairperson of the Continence Foundation of Australia for several years, prior to which he was the Victorian State President. Michael is the current president of the National Ageing Research Institute. Michael sits on several aged care facility boards and he was the Geriatrician Lead to the Victorian Aged Care Response Centre (VACRC) for Covid-19.” Michael was the first interim Chief Clinical Advisor to the first Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner and is a current member of the National Advisory committee Aged Care (NACAC) and the Aged Care Group to AHPPC.

Speaker: Panel discussion

Moderator: Prof Robert Booy 

Robert Booy is honorary Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Sydney. From 2005 to 2019 he held Senior roles at NCIRS. He is a medical graduate of the University of Queensland (1984), trained in paediatrics at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Brisbane and has held a range of positions in the UK. Professor Booy’s research interests extend from understanding the genetic basis of susceptibility to, and severity of, infectious diseases, especially influenza, RSV and invasive disease caused by encapsulated organisms; the clinical, public health and social burden of these diseases; and means by which to prevent or control serious infections through vaccines, drugs and non-pharmaceutical measures. Over the past 20 years, Professor Booy has been increasingly recognised as an expert in the respiratory virus field, supervising many studies addressing the burden and prevention of influenza disease in children and adults in the UK, Australia and among Muslim pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. In addition he has led intervention studies with new vaccines, new vaccine delivery methods and alternate methods for preventing disease and transmission such as antivirals and personal protective equipment. Professor Robert Booy is a Director at the Immunisation Coalition.

Speaker: Dr Rod Pearce AM

Dr Rodney Pearce AM is a country and city GP and Medical Officer of Health for the Eastern Health Authority (HA), Adelaide. Dr Pearce became a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) on Australia Day 2012. He received the award for his long-standing service to medicine as a General Practitioner, through contributions to national medical organisations and to education. 

Speaker: Catherine Keil

MN(NP) RN BSc(Hons) Dip TM(RCPSG) CTH(ISTM) FACTM

Catherine Keil is an Australian/British Nurse Practitioner specialising in travel health and immunisations. She completed a BSc Honours degree in Geography in 1995 from the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK, with an interest in Medical Geography. She went on to complete a Nursing Diploma in 1998 from Kingston University/St George’s Medical School, London, UK, which involved an exchange program to Uganda.

After travelling and working in Africa, South East Asia and Central America, she became a practice nurse based in London. She specialised in travel health, which led her to work for Emirates Airline in Dubai for ten years, where she was instrumental in setting up a travel health clinic for the crew and families. In 2006, she completed the Diploma in Travel Medicine from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow, UK, and in 2014 completed the ISTM Certificate in Travel Health. After moving to Australia, she completed a Masters in Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) from Flinders University, Adelaide, in 2017 and now works as an Endorsed Nurse Practitioner in Travel Health and Immunisations. She is a Fellow of the Faculty of Travel Medicine (FFTM), Australasian College of Tropical Medicine, immediate past chair of the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) Nursing Professional Group Steering Council and previous chair of the Travel Health Nurses of Australia and New Zealand group.

Speaker: Dr Rama Kandasamy

Dr Kandasamy is a paediatrician and immunisation specialist at the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network, a senior lecturer at the University of Sydney, and holds an NHMRC Emerging Leader Fellowship grant. He has a particular interest in severe acute respiratory illness in children and prevention of them through vaccination. He is active in leading vaccine trials and studies of respiratory illness epidemiology among children. As part of his NHMRC Investigator grant he is exploring the host-pathogen genetic factors which are associated with infectious respiratory disease in children.

Speaker: Panel discussion

Moderator: Dr Leanne Jones 

Dr Jones is a General Practitioner at the Windmill Hill Medical Centre, Launceston and a Director of the Immunisation Coalition  (IC).

As a GP with more than 35 years’ experience, Dr Jones has an in-depth knowledge of the health issues facing Tasmanians. Dr Jones was a Board Member of the General Practice North where she served for two years as its Chair, and was a Board member of General Practice Tasmania for eight years. She has a special interest in immunisation and sits on various immunisation advisory and reference groups. She was also the Media Advisor and GP Advisor on Immunisation, and was  the Tasmanian Medicare Local spokesperson on Immunisation.

Dr Jones graduated with a BMedSc and MBBS from the University of Tasmania.

She is involved with education of General Practitioners with Primary Health Tasmania and   undergraduate medical students at the University of Tasmania.

Speaker: Prof Michael Kidd

Professor Kidd is a highly respected medical leader known for his significant contributions to public health and primary health care, in Australia and internationally.

He has extensive experience as a general practitioner, primary care researcher, educator and academic and has served as president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the World Organization of Family Doctors.

Most recently, Professor Kidd has been the Professor of Global Primary Care and Future Health Systems at the University of Oxford, and Director of the International Centre for Future Health Systems at the University of New South Wales.

Professor Kidd served as Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Principal Medical Advisor with the Department of Health and Aged Care during the COVID-19 pandemic making a significant contribution to the national primary care response.

Speaker: Dr Jessica Kaufman

Dr Jessica Kaufman is a Senior Research Fellow in the Vaccine Uptake Group at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and an Honorary Fellow at the University of Melbourne. She leads the Vaccine Social Science Team, which conducts research about the social and behavioral factors that affect vaccine decision-making and uptake. Some of her current projects include exploring pregnant women’s vaccine views and experiences, evaluating the impacts of vaccine mandates in Australia, developing interventions to reduce vaccine misinformation, and training community leaders to be vaccine advocates in the Asia Pacific region. Jessica is an NHMRC Emerging Leader Fellow and an E. H. Flack Foundation Fellow.

Speaker: Georgina Lewis and Bec Rogers

Georgina Lewis 

Georgina Lewis is a Registered Nurse with a background in paediatric nursing at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne. She has a Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Clinical Nursing, Paediatrics and has been an accredited Nurse immuniser since 2005. Georgina has been working with SAEFVIC (Surveillance of Adverse Events Following Vaccination in the Community) since 2007 and currently holds the position of Clinical Manager. She also works as a casual Nurse immuniser with the local council. Her special interests include vaccine safety, surveillance, education and immunisation research. 

Bec Rogers

Speaker: Panel discussion

Moderator: A/Prof John Litt 

Associate Professor John Litt is a retired academic GP and public health physician in the Discipline of General Practice at Flinders University and was the Deputy Chairman of the National Quality Committee of the RACGP (from 2000-2018).

His major clinical and research interests are in prevention and its implementation. John has over 130 refereed publications (journal articles, book and book chapters). He conducted the first Australian National Influenza and Pneumococcal Survey in older adults in 1998 and the first Australian Zoster Attitudes and Beliefs Survey in older persons and GPs in 2009.  More recently he has helped to develop an online COVID Risk Calculator (CoRiCal), which assists the patient decision-making process for COVID vaccination.

John has been a member of several national committees, consortia, and Scientific Advisory Committees including NHMRC, ATAGI, Cancer Australia and NCIRS. He was one of the inaugural directors of the ISG and is currently a member of the Immunisation Coalition’s Scientific Advisory Committee.

Speaker: Prof Robert Booy

Robert Booy is honorary Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Sydney. From 2005 to 2019 he held Senior roles at NCIRS. He is a medical graduate of the University of Queensland (1984), trained in paediatrics at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Brisbane and has held a range of positions in the UK. Professor Booy’s research interests extend from understanding the genetic basis of susceptibility to, and severity of, infectious diseases, especially influenza, RSV and invasive disease caused by encapsulated organisms; the clinical, public health and social burden of these diseases; and means by which to prevent or control serious infections through vaccines, drugs and non-pharmaceutical measures. Over the past 20 years, Professor Booy has been increasingly recognised as an expert in the respiratory virus field, supervising many studies addressing the burden and prevention of influenza disease in children and adults in the UK, Australia and among Muslim pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. In addition he has led intervention studies with new vaccines, new vaccine delivery methods and alternate methods for preventing disease and transmission such as antivirals and personal protective equipment. Professor Robert Booy is a Director at the Immunisation Coalition.

Speaker: Dr Andrew Baird

Andrew is a General Practitioner in St Kilda, Melbourne, and a Medical Advisor with a medical defence organisation.  He has a background in rural general practice and medical education.

Speaker: Dr Sarah McGuinness

Sarah McGuinness is an infectious diseases clinician and researcher based at Alfred Health and Monash University in Melbourne. Her research focuses on improving ways to prevent infectious diseases in at-risk populations. She has a special interest in travel and tropical medicine and leads the hospital-based travel clinic at the Alfred Hospital. 

She is a co-author of the Manual of Travel Medicine (4th edition) and co-facilitates an annual Travel Medicine Masterclass for Australasian travel health providers. She is an editorial board member of the Journal of Travel Medicine and an active member of the Australasian College of Tropical Medicine and International Society of Travel Medicine, serving on various committees and frequently presenting on travel medicine topics.

Speaker: Panel discussion

Moderator: Dr Hazel Clothier 

Hazel is Lead Epidemiologist, Child Health Informatics and Surveillance Manager, Vaccine Signal Detection & Investigation at SAEFVIC, Victoria’s Vaccine Safety Service. Her doctoral work on optimising spontaneous vaccine safety surveillance has had immediate relevance and continued impact since the global Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 crisis brought calls for development and release of vaccines at “pandemic speed”, further highlighting the need for robust and timely vaccine safety surveillance.

She continues to lead in this field of research with expertise in vaccinology, surveillance and signal detection. Hazel is also experienced in public health and infectious diseases more broadly with a strong background in emerging infectious diseases, outbreak management and infectious disease surveillance system design and evaluation.

Speaker: Dr Rod Pearce

Dr Rodney Pearce AM is a country and city GP and Medical Officer of Health for the Eastern Health Authority (HA), Adelaide. Dr Pearce became a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) on Australia Day 2012. He received the award for his long-standing service to medicine as a General Practitioner, through contributions to national medical organisations and to education.