title: Vaccination status and health in children and adolescents: findings of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Whether unvaccinated children and adolescents differ from those vaccinated in terms of health is subject to some discussion.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated data on diseases that are preventable by vaccination, infectious and atopic diseases, and vaccinations received that had been collected between 2003 and 2006 in a representative sample of 17 641 subjects aged 0 to 17 years in the framework of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (Kinder- und Jugendgesundheitssurvey, KiGGS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Evaluable data on vaccinations were available for 13 453 subjects aged 1-17 years from non-immigrant families. 0.7% of them (95% confidence interval: 0.5%-0.9%) were not vaccinated. The lifetime prevalence of diseases preventable by vaccination was markedly higher in unvaccinated than in vaccinated subjects. Unvaccinated children aged 1-5 years had a median number of 3.3 (2.1-4.6) infectious diseases in the past year, compared to 4.2 (4.1-4.4) in vaccinated children. Among 11- to 17-year-olds, the corresponding figures were 1.9 (1.0-2.8) (unvaccinated) versus 2.2 (2.1-2.3) (vaccinated). The lifetime prevalence of at least one atopic disease among 1- to 5-year-olds was 12.6% (5.0%-28.3%) in unvaccinated children and 15.0% (13.6%-16.4%) in vaccinated children. In older children, atopy was more common, but its prevalence was not found to depend on vaccination status: among 6- to 10-year-olds, the prevalence figures were 30.1% (12.9%-55.8%) for unvaccinated children versus 24.4% (22.8%-26.0%) for vaccinated children, and the corresponding figures for 11- to 17-year-olds were 20.3% (10.1%-36.6%) versus 29.9% (28.4%-31.5%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of allergic diseases and non-specific infections in children and adolescents was not found to depend on vaccination status.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Epidemiologie und Gesundheitsberichterstattung, Robert Koch-Institut, Berlin.
authors.forename: Roma
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Poethko-Müller
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reiter
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schlaud
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017053:Infection Control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007239:Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D032541:Mass Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors