Multiple vaccinations and the immune system
Dr. P's Pediatric Journal Club
"Childhood vaccination and nontargeted infectious disease hospitalization."
Hviid, et al., Journal of the American Medical Association Vol 294, 2005.
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The study
The records of 805,206 (!) Danish school children were examined for:
The records of 805,206 (!) Danish school children were examined for:
- When they received their immunizations, which were given, how many at a time.
- Hospitalization for an infectious disease in the next days, weeks and months.
There was no relationship between receiving one or multiple immunizations and a subsequent hospitalization for an infectious problem.
What this study suggests
There is no evidence that the increasing number of vaccinations given to children has a negative effect on their immunity to serious infections.
Dr. P comments
Vaccinations are one of the great inventions of the 20th century. Next to water sanitation, they have probably saved more lives than anything else. But we're spoiled: who among us has seen a case of polio?
I am very disturbed that unproved guesses ("multiple vaccinations are bad for kids," "the MMR vaccine causes autism," "multiple immunizations given at once are dangerous to the immune system" - all basically proved incorrect) have frightened some conscientious parents into not fully immunizing their kids, or doing so with great fear.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. Vaccinations are clearly beneficial. You should demand very good scientific proof that they are harmful before holding off on giving them. And here is yet another study that debunks the claims of irresponsible people who try to convince parents not to fully immunize their kids on the basis of a hunch.
Related Topics: MMR Vaccine-Autism Link Discredited, Vaccinating Kids Cuts Adult Pneumonia
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