Lay summary
Group A Streptococcus (Strep A) causes a range of diseases from acute pharyngitis (Strep throat) to life-threatening invasive infections and rheumatic fever (RF). Aotearoa New Zealand has high rates of serious Strep A disease and an effective vaccine is sorely needed. However, vaccine development has been hampered by a lack of insight into the mechanisms by which immunity to Strep A builds throughout childhood. This study will construct a comprehensive map of immune responses in children following Strep A infections. State-of-the-art technologies and analysis techniques will be applied to identify the features of immunity associated with sore throats caused by Strep A strains that are circulating in Aotearoa New Zealand. This insight is critical to inform why children are much more susceptible to Strep A infections than adults and will underpin the development of future vaccines.