Brain damage from pertussis immunization. A Canadian neurologist's perspective.
Uncontrolled case series noting an association between diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine (DTP) immunization and brain damage have lead to widespread reduction in immunization, epidemics of pertussis and litigation. A judge, hearing the only Canadian court case, concluded there is no evidence that DTP induced brain injury. It is difficult to develop a cogent biologic hypothesis for the mechanism of DTP-induced brain injury, especially when the postulated clinical syndrome is variable without a characteristic neuropathologic pattern. Timed observational, case-controlled, and prospective cohort studies have not shown evidence of brain damage from pertussis vaccine. This suggests that the cause(s) of brain injury recorded in case series was other than DTP immunization. Any relationship is likely a temporal coincidence because DTP is administered several times in infancy. A vigorous effort is required to dispel the myth of DTP-induced brain damage.
Department of Pediatrics, IWK Children's Hospital, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
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D000818:Animals; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004673:Encephalomyelitis, Acute Disseminated / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008318:Malpractice; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine