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Susan, AVN Australia

Study links childhood vaccines to 'huge' increase in allergies

Pulse; Tonbridge; Dec 9, 2002;

Patients immunised with vaccines included in the UK
childhood immunisation schedule are 14 times more
likely to be diagnosed with asthma than unvaccinated
children, a study of 29,000 patients suggests.

Full Text:
Copyright CMP Information Ltd. Dec 9, 2002

By Rob Gough

Patients immunised with vaccines included in the UK
childhood immunisation schedule are 14 times more
likely to be diagnosed with asthma than unvaccinated
children, a

study of 29,000 patients suggests.

The researchers said although the study found a link
between the vaccines and asthma, it was 'unlikely' to
be causal.

The cohort study compared doctor-diagnosed asthma and
eczema rates in unvaccinated children with those
immunised against diphtheria, polio, pertussis,
tetanus and MMR.

Children who had been vaccinated - some 96 per cent -
were 14 times more likely to be diagnosed with asthma
and 9.4 times more likely to be diagnosed with eczema
than unvaccinated children, the study showed.

Study co-author Dr Richard Hubbard, senior lecturer in
respiratory medicine at the University of Nottingham,
played down the findings, arguing there were
'significant interactions' between vaccination and
consulting behaviour.

He said: 'The problem is people who don't go to the
doctor's don't get diagnoses of asthma and don't get
vaccinated. In the unvaccinated group you will always
see a lower risk of asthma.'

The study, presented last week at the British Thoracic
Society winter meeting in London, found no association
between the vaccine dose response and allergies,
making a link between current vaccination policy and
allergies 'very unlikely', said Dr Hubbard.

Dr David Bellamy, a GP in Bournemouth, Dorset, and a
committee member of the General Practice Airways
Group, said the study findings were 'pretty
startling'.

He said: 'A 14-fold rise is a pretty huge increase. If
these findings are true the implications are somewhat
worrying.'

He added other factors such as maternal history needed
to be considered before drawing any firm conclusions.

Dr Chris Cates, editor of the Cochrane Airways Group
and a GP in Bushey, Hertfordshire, said that he was
unaware of any previous link between vaccinations and
asthma.

He added: 'What I would not do is say this proves that
vaccination causes asthma. Trying to untangle whether
vaccinations have a role in this is incredibly
difficult.

'If people consult more they are more likely to get diagnosed.'