Apparent decreased risk of invasive bacterial disease after heterologous childhood immunization
S. B. Black, J. D. Cherry, H. R. Shinefield, B. Fireman, P. Christenson and D. Lampert
Northern California Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Study Center, Oakland 94611.
To investigate the possibility that there might be an increased risk of
heterologous invasive bacterial disease after routine childhood
immunization with measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine live; diphtheria and
tetanus toxoids and pertussis vaccine; and oral poliovirus vaccine live, a
case-control study was conducted within the Kaiser Permanente Northern
California pediatric population. Contrary to the premise, an apparent
protective effect against invasive bacterial disease was detected after all
childhood vaccinations. However, when adjustment was made for frequency of
well-care visits and day-care attendance, no significant relationship was
seen between receipt of routine childhood immunizations and risk of
invasive heterologous bacterial disease for any individual vaccine,
although a statistically significant protective effect was detected within
1 or 3 months after the receipt of any vaccine. Since a decreased risk of
invasive bacterial disease was also noted to be related to the receipt of
routine well-child pediatric care, other preventive health care measures
may be responsible for the apparent immunization protective effect.
