title: Haemophilus influenzae type b combination vaccines and atopic disorders: a prospective cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Epidemiologic evidence for an association between vaccinations and atopy development is inconsistent. We evaluated the influence of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) combination vaccines in 6-month-old infants on the prevalence of atopic disorders in 18-month-old children.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used multistage, stratified systematic sampling to recruit 24,200 mother-newborn pairs from the Taiwan national birth registration in 2005. Vaccination status was ascertained through official vaccine cards, while risk factors for atopic disorders were gathered by questionnaires at 6 months of age. Information about development of atopic dermatitis (AD) and recurrent wheezing was collected at 18 months of age. The relationship between atopic disorders and Hib combination vaccines, diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus-Hib and oral poliomyelitis vaccines (DPT-Hib&OPV) and DPT-Hib-inactivated poliomyelitis vaccines (DPT-Hib-IPV), were estimated by multiple logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 19,968 children completed the follow-up and participated in the study. AD was noted in 1584 (7.9%) infants while recurrent wheezing was found in 1220 (6.1%) infants. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) (95% CI) for the development of AD in the DPT-Hib&OPV and DPT-Hib-IPV vaccination groups were given as 1.38 (1.15-1.65) and 1.49 (1.29-1.72), compared to those without Hib vaccination (DTP&OPV vaccination). However, the association between DPT-Hib&OPV and DPT-Hib-IPV vaccinations and recurrent wheezing failed to reach statistical significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a potential risk for AD after receiving Hib combination vaccines. Hib vaccination is important to the public health, and therefore the observation requires further investigations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Taipei Hospital Department of Health, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: I-Jen
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Li-Min
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yueliang Leon
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Wu-Shiun
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Tien-Jen
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Pau-Chung
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine; D005260:Female; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011054:Poliovirus Vaccine, Inactivated; D011055:Poliovirus Vaccine, Oral; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015721:Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines; D011054:Poliovirus Vaccine, Inactivated; D011055:Poliovirus Vaccine, Oral; C080881:diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-haemophilus b conjugate vaccine