[July 1, 1999]

Medical Research Council (MRC) awards new research grants

Dr. Allison McGeer has received a grant to conduct a new collaborative study to assess the effectiveness of pneumococcal vaccine in preventing invasive pneumococcal disease. With co-investigators Drs Mark Loeb, Keith Knight, Monika Naus, and Louise Jette and research staff Lisa Landry, Karen Green, and Ellie Goldenberg, Dr. McGeer will be starting this study in July 1999. This project allows the group a unique opportunity to use the existing population based data on invasive pneumococcal disease in Metropolitian Toronto/Peel region to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the provincial pneumococcal vaccination program that was implemented in the fall of 1996. The evaluation will include an indirect cohort analysis of vaccine and non-vaccine susceptible S. pneumoniae strains, a time series analysis of invasive disease over a five year period and a community telephone survey to assess vaccination rates and vaccine uptake for each pneumoccoccal vaccine season.

In addition, Dr. McGeer received a 2nd year renewal for a study of the effect of multi-vitamins on infection in the elderly on which she is a co-investigator with Drs. Johane Allard, Andrew Simor and Barbara Liu. This multi-centered randomized control trial comparing the effect of multi-vitamins versus placebo in nursing home residents has been running for one year. To date 750 residents in 21 homes in the Toronto area have been enrolled.