Elsevier

Journal of Infection

Volume 41, Issue 2, September 2000, Pages 172-175
Journal of Infection

Regular Article
General Non-specific Morbidity is Reduced After Vaccination Within the Third Month of Life - the Greifswald Study

https://doi.org/10.1053/jinf.2000.0718Get rights and content

Abstract

Objectives: The incidence of many serious infectious diseases fundamentally decline as a success of consequent vaccination regimens. However, it is a matter of discussion if vaccination might cause unspecific negative side effects on the immune system. To answer this, we performed a clinical study on children with the question as to whether there is an enhanced frequency of infection diseases after vaccination or not.

Methods: The study population (n=496) was randomized to a group of vaccinated children (first vaccination on the 60th day of life,n =201) and a group of unvaccinated children (first vaccination on the 90th day of life, n=295). Frequencies of unspecific, morbidity-related signs were recorded by the mothers with a diary card. These data were taken for further statistical analysis to determine if the factor “vaccination” does have a significant effect on the variable “morbidity”.

Results: Various infectious disease-associated symptoms (vomiting, coughing, signs of rhinitis, restlessness, rash and pain) were significantly less often seen in vaccinated than in non-vaccinated children.

Conclusions: Our study revealed that children who received vaccination against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, HiB and poliomyelitis simultaneously within the third month of life do not exhibit enhanced frequencies of infectiousdisease-associated symptoms. In contrary, the frequencies of infection-associated symptoms were found to be significantly reduced. This might be caused by a vaccination-associated unspecific enhancement of immunological activity (e.g. mediated by interleukin 2) or by other presently still unknown factors.

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Please address all correspondence to: S. Otto, Zentrum für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald, Soldtmannstr. 15, D-17487 Greifswald, Germany.

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