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: J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2000 Feb;23(2):81-90 |
Effects of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis or
tetanus vaccination on allergies and allergy-related respiratory symptoms among
children and adolescents in the United States.
Hurwitz EL, Morgenstern H.
UCLA School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Los Angeles, Calif
90095-1772, USA. ehurwitz@ucla.edu
BACKGROUND: Findings from animal and human studies confirm that diphtheria and
tetanus toxoids and pertussis (DTP) and tetanus vaccinations induce allergic
responses; associations between childhood vaccinations and subsequent allergies
have been reported recently. OBJECTIVE: The association of DTP or tetanus
vaccination with allergies and allergy-related respiratory symptoms among
children and adolescents in the United States was assessed. METHODS: Data were
used from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey on infants
aged 2 months through adolescents aged 16 years. DTP or tetanus vaccination,
lifetime allergy history, and allergy symptoms in the past 12 months were based
on parental or guardian recall. Logistic regression modeling was performed to
estimate the effects of DTP or tetanus vaccination on each allergy. RESULTS:
The odds of having a history of asthma was twice as great among vaccinated
subjects than among unvaccinated subjects (adjusted odds ratio, 2.00; 95%
confidence interval, 0.59 to 6.74). The odds of having had any allergy-related
respiratory symptom in the past 12 months was 63% greater among vaccinated
subjects than unvaccinated subjects (adjusted odds ratio, 1.63; 95% confidence
interval, 1.05 to 2.54). The associations between vaccination and subsequent
allergies and symptoms were greatest among children aged 5 through 10 years.
CONCLUSIONS: DTP or tetanus vaccination appears to increase the risk of allergies
and related respiratory symptoms in children and adolescents. Although it is
unlikely that these results are entirely because of any sources of bias, the
small number of unvaccinated subjects and the study design limit our ability to
make firm causal inferences about the true magnitude of effect.
PMID: 10714532 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]