MMR vaccines 'increase risk of convulsions & feverish fits in child - news.telegraph.co.

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Thursday, August 30, 2001 10:23 PM

MMR vaccines 'increase risk of convulsions & feverish fits in

child - news.telegraph.co.

 

 

> news.telegraph.co.uk - Triple vaccines 'increase risk of feverish fits in

> children'

>

http://portal.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2001/08/30/nmmr30.xm

> l

>

> Friday 31 August 2001

>

> Telegraph Network telegraph.co.uk Front page news

> Triple vaccines 'increase risk of feverish fits in children'

> By David Derbyshire and Celia Hall

> (Filed: 30/08/2001)

>

> TWO common childhood vaccines can trigger feverish fits in children

already

> at risk of convulsions, American researchers said yesterday.

> The measles, mumps and rubella injection (MMR) more than doubles the risk

of

> a seizure eight to 14 days after vaccination, they found. But the DTP

> vaccine, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough,

> increases the chances of a seizure on the day of vaccination by five

times.

> The findings confirm British research into the links between vaccines and

> febrile seizures carried out in the mid-1990s. Febrile seizures are one of

> the most common reasons for children going into hospital.

> They can be triggered by high temperatures associated with viral

infections

> or if children become overheated. Because vaccines contain live viruses in

a

> watered down form they can sometimes lead to mild fevers that trigger

fits.

> The latest findings come from a risk analysis of 680,000 children.

> The team, which included researchers from Washington University in

Seattle,

> found that the DTP vaccine increased the risks of febrile seizures by 5.7

> times but only on the day of vaccination.

> The MMR vaccine increased the risk of fits 2.8 times eight to 14 days

after

> vaccination. Researchers estimated that DTP triggered febrile seizures in

> six to nine children in 100,000 while MMR triggered feverish fits in 25 to

> 34 children in 100,000.

> The American team who carried out the study say in the New England Journal

> of Medicine: " There are significantly elevated risks of febrile seizures

> after receipt of DTP vaccine or MMR vaccine but these do not appear to be

> associated with any long-term adverse consequences. "

> Dr Mary Ramsay, of the Public Health Laboratory Service, said the

increased

> risk of febrile seizures was a recognised side-effect of live vaccines.

> She said: " This isn't new data but it confirms what we already knew.

> Children with a propensity to febrile seizures are at risk of a seizure

> after vaccination. But they are not associated with any long-term harm. "

> The data was published at the same time as the results of survey in which

> nearly two-thirds of parents said they should be able to choose between

> single vaccinations and the MMR jab.

> Most parents also said that they wanted the Government to hold a public

> inquiry into the suggested link between the triple vaccination and the

rise

> in autism in children.

> The survey of more than 1,000 parents for Radio 4 found that 79 per cent

of

> them wanted a public inquiry into the possible link even though 73 per

cent

> of parents believed that the combined vaccine was safer.

> But the Department of Health said that a public inquiry would be

> " pointless " . An inquiry might even damage children's health by frightening

> parents into not taking their children for vaccination, a spokesman said.

> The health department spokesman said: " There have been nine major

scientific

> reviews of the alleged link between MMR vaccine and autism. All have been

> totally independent and have found no evidence of a link. "

>

> 25 July 2001[Health]: Can parents trust the MMR vaccine?

> 21 July 2001: Conflict of interest fear over study of autism

> 28 June 2001: Study finds higher rate of autism

> 29 March 2001: Find a replacement for MMR vaccine, orders Executive

> 21 January 2001: MMR doctor links 170 cases of autism to vaccine

>

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