Vaccination and allergic disease: a birth cohort study.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the effect of vaccination for diphtheria; polio; pertussis and tetanus; or measles, mumps, and rubella on the incidence of physician-diagnosed asthma and eczema.


METHODS
We used a previously established birth cohort in the West Midlands General Practice research database.


RESULTS
We found an association between vaccination and the development of allergic disease; however, this association was present only among children with the fewest physician visits and can be explained by this factor.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that currently recommended routine vaccinations are not a risk factor for asthma or eczema.
McKeever
Tricia M
TM
Clinical Science Building, City Hospital, Nottingham NG5 1PB, England, UK. tricia.mckeever@nottingham.ac.uk
Lewis
Sarah A
SA
Smith
Chris
C
Hubbard
Richard
R
D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004485:Eczema / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010821:Physicians, Family; D014611:Vaccination / Q000009:adverse effects*