They are in trouble, they have to protect vaccination every single day because of the raising concerns worldwide.
Childhood Shots Not Tied to Allergic Diseases
Wed Jun 16, 2004 03:36 PM ET
Source: Reuters
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Allergic diseases have risen over the past few decades in developed countries, and some people have blamed this on the increase in mass immunizations that has occurred. However, that notion seems to be unfounded.
UK researchers have shown that routine childhood vaccinations are not associated with an increased risk of asthma or eczema.
Dr. Tricia M. McKeever at the University of Nottingham and colleagues examined data on a birth cohort of 29238 children who had been followed for up to 11 years.
As reported in the American Journal of Public Health, the researchers did find a certain association between overall population rates of diphtheria, polio, pertussis and tetanus (DPPT) immunization and measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination and the incidence of asthma and eczema.
However, this affected only "a minority of children who rarely seek care" from a general practitioner, meaning they were less likely than the average child to have been given routine vaccinations. So, if anything, this suggests the opposite conclusion, that lack of immunization is tied to greater odds of allergic disease.
Thus the investigators conclude that these and other findings indicate that "current vaccination practices do not have an adverse effect on the incidence of allergic diseases."
They comment that this important, "because a perception that vaccination is harmful may have an adverse impact of the effectiveness of immunization programs."
SOURCE: American Journal of Public Health. June 2004.
© Reuters 2004. All Rights Reserved
