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Early exposure to multiple vaccines not linked to increased infection risk
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Infants who were exposed to multiple vaccine antigens during the childhood immunization schedule exhibited no increased risk for additional infectious diseases not targeted by the vaccines, according to published study results in JAMA.
“Some parents are concerned that multiple vaccines in early childhood could damage their child’s immune system, making them more susceptible to future infections,” Jason Glanz, PhD, senior investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Colorado Institute for Health Research, said in a press release. “Parents have genuine concerns about their children’s safety as related to vaccination.”
“We hope this study shines some light on their concerns, helping parents across the nation better understand the safety and benefits of vaccinating on time,” Glanz said.
Glanz and colleagues studied children with and without non-vaccine-targeted infections between the ages of 24 and 47 months to measure estimated cumulative vaccine antigen exposure through the first 23 months of life.
Six U.S. health care organizations participating in the Vaccine Safety Datalink, a research collaboration funded by the CDC using electronic health record databases to conduct epidemiological studies of vaccine safety, were included in a nested case-control study. International Classification of Diseases codes for infectious diseases in the ED and inpatient medical settings were used to identify cases, which were validated by medical record review.
Children ages 24 through 47 months who were born between Jan. 1, 2003, and Sept. 31, 2013, were included in the study and followed through 2015.
From an entire cohort of 495,193 children, the nested case-control study included 193 cases and 751 controls, matched to have the same mean age (32.5 months), sex (45% female) and chronic condition distribution (7% had a complex chronic condition).
The estimated mean cumulative vaccine antigen exposure through the first 23 months of life was similar between the two cohorts for the first 23 months (240.7 for cases and 242.9 for controls), with an estimated between-group difference of –2.3 (95% CI, –10.1 to 5.4).
There was not a significant matched OR for estimated cumulative antigen exposure through 23 months of age for children with non-vaccine-targeted infections compared with those without (matched OR = 0.94; 95% CI, 0.84-1.07).
‘This latest study found that vaccination didn’t appear to damage the immune system in a way that made kids more infection prone,” researcher Matthew F. Daily, MD, Kaiser Permanente pediatrician and researcher at the Institute for Health Research in Colorado, said in the release. “Parents who may be hesitant to vaccinate should bring up their concerns with their pediatrician or physician — we are eager to discuss the benefits of vaccination. Vaccines not only protect children, but others in the community who may be more vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases.” – by Bruce Thiel
Disclosures: Glanz reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.
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