Risk of seizures after measles-mumps-rubella immunization.
To evaluate the risks of seizures and other neurologic events following measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) or measles-rubella (MR) immunization, a retrospective cohort study was conducted among 18,364 Tennessee children enrolled in Medicaid who received MMR or MR immunizations in their first 3 years of life. One hundred children had seizures at some time between immunization and 36 months; there were no encephalopathies during this period. Four children had febrile seizures in the 7 through 14 days following MMR or MR immunization compared with 72 in the interval 30 or more days following MMR or MR immunization yielding a relative risk (95% confidence interval) of 2.1 (0.7 to 6.4). Although not statistically significant, this increase in febrile seizures in the 7- through 14-day interval following MMR immunization is coincident with the occurrence of fever following MMR immunization and is consistent with reports of other investigators.
Griffin
M R
MR
Department of Preventive Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-2637.
Ray
W A
WA
Mortimer
E A
EA
Fenichel
G M
GM
Schaffner
W
W
D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008458:Measles Vaccine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine; D009108:Mumps Vaccine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012411:Rubella Vaccine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012640:Seizures / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D013714:Tennessee / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors
D004338:Drug Combinations; D008458:Measles Vaccine; D022542:Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine; D009108:Mumps Vaccine; D012411:Rubella Vaccine