BUTTER

Biological residUal samples for immuniTy evaluation and paThogEn discovery

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Participating Sites and National Principal Investigator

Dr. Shelly Bolotin

British Columbia
BC Children’s Hospital (Vancouver)

Alberta
Alberta Children’s Hospital (Calgary)
Stollery Children’s Hospital (Edmonton)

Saskatchewan
Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital (Saskatoon)

Manitoba
The Children’s Hospital of Winnipeg (Winnipeg)

Ontario
Children's Hospital London Health Sciences Centre (London)
McMaster Children’s Hospital (Hamilton)
The Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto)
Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (Ottawa)
Kingston Health Sciences Centre (Kingston)

Quebec
CHU Sainte-Justine (Montreal)
Montreal Children’s Hospital
CHU de Sherbrooke (Sherbrooke)
CHU de Quebec l‘Universite de Laval (Quebec City)

Nova Scotia
IWK Health Centre (Halifax)

Newfoundland
Janeway Children’s Health and Rehabilitation Centre (St. John’s)

What Do We Want To Know?

We want to better understand how emerging and pandemic infections affect children, including how widely these infections spread, how severe they are, and how immunity develops over time. This information can help clarify the role children play in community transmission, support predictions about future infection trends, and inform public health decisions such as prevention measures, vaccination, and booster strategies.

How Are We Doing It?

We are collecting and biobanking leftover (residual) blood samples from children aged 0–17 years who present to participating emergency departments, regardless of their reason for the visit. These samples are taken only from blood already drawn as part of routine clinical care, so no additional blood collection is required. Basic demographic information will also be recorded.

How Is The Study Going?

The protocol is complete and we are working on obtaining the necessary approvals at the hospital sites so that sample collection can begin!

Who Is Included?

Children aged 0-17 years old or pregnant people who come to the emergency department or obstetrics ward or are admitted to the hospital and have routine samples taken may be included in this study.