Cumulative incidence of childhood-onset IDDM is unaffected by pertussis immunization.
OBJECTIVE
To identify a possible effect of pertussis vaccination in infancy on the risk for developing human IDDM.


METHODS
A comparison was made of the cumulative incidence of IDDM in children age 0-12 years between two birth cohorts born before pertussis vaccination and two birth cohorts born after pertussis vaccination had been excluded from the Swedish national immunization program. The Swedish Childhood Diabetes registry was used to identify cases of IDDM. Yearly nurse reports on administered vaccines were used to determine coverage for diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis (DTP) and diphtheria/tetanus (DT) vaccines. Pertussis vaccine coverage was estimated based on number of doses of vaccine made available on license.


RESULTS
No difference in cumulative incidence rate of IDDM up to the age of 12 years was found when the birth cohorts for 1978 and 1979 with high DTP vaccination coverage were compared with the cohorts of 1980 and 1981 with low pertussis vaccination coverage.


CONCLUSIONS
The comparison of the cumulative incidence of IDDM, up to the age of 12 years, in birth cohorts with high and low exposure to pertussis vaccine does not support the hypothesis that pertussis could induce autoimmunity to the beta-cell that may lead to IDDM.
Heijbel
H
H
Swedish Institute of Infectious Disease Control, Stockholm, Sweden. harald.heijbel@smi.ki.se
Chen
R T
RT
Dahlquist
G
G
D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D004168:Diphtheria Toxoid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology; D022422:Diphtheria-Tetanus Vaccine; D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D012042:Registries; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology; D014611:Vaccination / Q000009:adverse effects; D017778:Vaccines, Combined / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*
D004168:Diphtheria Toxoid; D022422:Diphtheria-Tetanus Vaccine; D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine; D013745:Tetanus Toxoid; D017778:Vaccines, Combined