• Vaccine preventable diseases: meningococcal, pneumococcal, influenza, rotavirus
• Vaccine safety
• Surveillance 
• Immunization knowledge, attitudes and beliefs 
• Population health
• Infectious disease epidemiology

I am a vaccine safety scientist at the Vaccine Evaluation Center, a leading center for applied vaccine research in Canada.  My research interests include vaccine safety and vaccine preventable diseases, as well as attitudes and beliefs around immunization uptake and use.  I am also the epidemiologist for the Immunization Monitoring Program, Active, a national surveillance system for vaccine preventable diseases and vaccine adverse events in 12 pediatric tertiary care centers across Canada. 

• Population based active surveillance for meningococcal infections in adults and children across Canada 
• Evaluation of meningococcal immunization programs across Canada
• Immunization Monitoring Program, Active (IMPACT): hospital-based active surveillance for vaccine preventable diseases and adverse events following immunization 
• Parental attitudes about rotavirus vaccination
• Parental attitudes about immunization after an adverse event following immunization
• Public opinions of H1N1 vaccine

Bettinger JA, Sauvé LJ, Scheifele DW, Moore D, Vaudry W, Tran D, Halperin SA, Pelletier L. Pandemic influenza in Canadian children: A summary of hospitalized pediatric cases. Vaccine. In Press, Uncorrected Proof. Available online 26 February 2010.

Bettinger JA, Scheifele DW, Kellner JD, Halperin SA, Vaudry W, Law B, Tyrrell G for Members of the Canadian Immunization Monitoring Program Active (IMPACT). The effect of routine vaccination on invasive pneumococcal infections in Canadian children, Immunization Monitoring Program, Active 2000-2007. Vaccine, Volume 28, Issue 9, 25 February 2010, Pages 2130-2136.

Le Saux N, Bettinger JA, Wootton S, Halperin SA, Vaudry W, Scheifele DW, Tsang R. Profile of serogroup Y meningococcal infections in Canada: implications for vaccine selection. Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases & Medical Microbiology. 2009; 19(4):e130-e134.

Greenberg DP, Doemland M, Bettinger JA, Scheifele DW, Halperin SA, Waters V, Kandola K. Epidemiology of Pertussis and Haemophilus influenzae type b Disease in Canada with Exclusive Use of a Pediatric DTaP-IPV/Hib Combination Vaccine and an Adolescent-Adult Tdap Vaccine: Implications for Disease Prevention in the United States. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 2009;28(6):521-8.

Bettinger JA, Scheifele DW, Le Saux N, Halperin SA, Vaudry W, Tsang R. The impact of childhood meningococcal serogroup C conjugate vaccine programs in Canada. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 2009; 28(3): 220-224.

Scheifele DW, Bettinger JA, Halperin SA, Law B, Bortolussi R. Ongoing Control of Haemophilus influenzae type B infections in Canadian Children: 2004-2007. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 2008; 27(8): 755-757.

Norton SP, Scheifele DW, Bettinger JA, West RM. Influenza vaccination in paediatric nurses: cross-sectional study of coverage, refusal, and factors in acceptance. Vaccine 2008;26:2942–2948

Burgess T, Hirschfeld AF, Tyrrell GJ, Bettinger JA, Turvey SE.  Commonly invasive serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae trigger a reduced innate immune response compared with serotypes rarely responsible for invasive infection. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol. 2008: 1-4.

Bettinger JA, Scheifele DW, Halperin SA, Kellner JD. Tyrrell G. Invasive Pneumococcal Infections in Canadian Children, 1998-2003: Implications for Vaccination Programs. Canadian Journal of Public Health. 2007: March/April 98(2):111-115.

Bettinger JA, Halperin SA, De Serres G, Scheifele DW, Tam T. The Effect of Changing from Whole-Cell to Acellular Pertussis Vaccine on the Epidemiology of Hospitalized Pertussis in Canada. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 2007 Jan; 26(1):31-5

Hirschfeld AF, Bettinger JA, Victor RE, Davidson DJ, Currie AJ, Ansermino JM, Scheifele DW, Orange JS, Turvey SE.  Prevalence of toll-like receptor signalling defects in apparently healthy children who developed invasive pneumococcal infection.  Clin Immunol 2007;122:271-8.

Bjornson G, Scheifele DW, Bettinger J, Patrick DM, Gustafson L, Daly P, Tyrrell GJ. Effectiveness of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in Greater Vancouver, Canada: 2004-2005. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 2007;26(6):540-2.

Bettinger JA, Celentano DD, Curriero FC, Adler NE, Millstein SG, Ellen JE. Does Parental Involvement Predict Incident STDs in Female Adolescents? Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. 2004: 158:666-670. 

Bettinger JA, Adler NE, Curriero FC, Ellen JE. Risk Perceptions, Condom Use and STDs among Adolescent Females according to Social Network Position.  Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 2004:31:(9):575-579.

Delta Omega Public Health Honor Society, The Johns Hopkins University - 2004

Golden Eagle Award in Medicine for Lymphatic Filariasis: Hope for a Better Life Health Worker training video, CINE - 2001

Esther Garrett Edgerton Scholar Award, PEO Educational Organization - 2001

Keswadee Lapphra, clinical fellow
Laura Sauve, clinical fellow
Kim Marty, data director
Wenli Zhang, data manager
Shuyu Fan, statistician
Mariana Veiga, research assistant
Engy Grove—research technician