FW: Small allergy risk from pertussis vaccine

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" Small " allergy risk from pertussis vaccine

>

> NEW YORK, Aug 13 (Reuters) -- Pertussis ( " whooping cough " ) vaccines may

> cause only a

> slight increase in the risk of allergic conditions in children,

> according to a study, in contrast to a

> previous report that suggested a large increase might occur after

> immunization.

>

> Because whooping cough is a serious disease that can cause complications

> in infants, " there

> seems to be little reason to withhold pertussis vaccination from

> infants, irrespective of family

> history of allergy, " reported Dr. Lennart Nilsson and colleagues in the

> Archives of Pediatrics

> and Adolescent Medicine.

>

> In a study of 669 Swedish children, some were given acellular pertussis

> vaccines, others

> whole cell pertussis vaccines, and some a placebo consisting of

> diphtheria and tetanus without

> the pertussis component. Acellular pertussis vaccines contain fewer

> bacterial proteins, and are

> generally considered to have fewer side effects than whole cell

> vaccines.

>

> By age 2-1/2, about 30% of the youngsters in each group showed a

> tendency to develop

> allergic conditions such as hayfever, food allergy, hives or eczema.

>

> Analysis of the study data suggests that the whole cell vaccine

> increased the risk of atopy

> (allergic conditions) by 4% or less, and the acellular pertussis

> vaccines increased the risk by

> 10%, according to the researchers from University Hospital in Linkoping,

> Sweden.

>

> " Our results indicate a possible small increase in the risk of atopic

> disease after acellular

> pertussis vaccines, " the authors wrote.

>

> " Whooping cough is a debilitating disease and, in infancy, there may be

> serious complications, "

> write the researchers. " The reasonable conclusion seems to be that

> acellular vaccines would at

> most be associated with a small to moderate increase in (allergy-related

> disorders). "

>

> SOURCE: Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 1998;152:734-738.

>