Control without separate controls: evaluation of vaccine safety using case-only methods.
Epidemiological methods involving only cases are reviewed in the context of vaccine safety studies. These methods include some ecological methods, case-coverage methods, case-crossover and self-controlled case series methods. The properties of the methods are described using examples from the literature. It is argued that such methods, and in particular the self-controlled case series method, are powerful epidemiologic tools meriting the same attention as more traditional cohort and case-control methods.
Farrington
C P
CP
Department of Statistics, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK. c.p.farrington@open.ac.uk
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine / Q000009:adverse effects; D004463:Ecology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D012107:Research Design; D014612:Vaccines / Q000009:adverse effects*
D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine; D014612:Vaccines