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Cited by 43Virology and Viral DiseasesImmune responses and vaccinationsBacterial Infections and Vaccines

No evidence of an increase of bacterial and viral infections following measles, mumps and rubella vaccine

Stowe, Julia, Andrews, Nick, Taylor, Brent, Miller, Elizabeth·2009·Vaccine
DOI 10.1016/j.vaccine.2008.12.038
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Abstract

The suggestion that multi-antigen vaccines might overload the immune system has led to calls for single antigen vaccines. In 2003 we showed that rather than an increase there appeared to be a reduced risk of severe bacterial infection in the three months following Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine (MMR). The present analysis of illnesses in a general population is based on an additional 10 years of data for bacterial infections and also includes admissions with viral infections. Analyses were carried out using the self-controlled case-series method and separately for bacterial and viral infection cases, using risk periods of 0-30 days, 31-60 days and 61-90 days post MMR vaccine. An analysis was also carried out for those cases which were given MMR and Meningococcal serogroup C (MCC) vaccines concomitantly. A reduced risk was seen in the 0-30-day period for both bacterial infection (relative incidence=0.68, 95% CI 0.54-0.86) and viral infections (relative incidence=0.68, 95% CI 0.49-0.93). There was no increased risk in any period when looking at combined viral or bacterial infections or for individual infections with the single exception of an increased risk in the 31-60 days post vaccination period for herpes infections (relative incidence=1.69, 95% CI 1.06-2.70). For the children given Meningococcal group C vaccines concomitantly no significantly increased risk was seen in either the bacterial (relative incidence=0.54, 95% CI 0.26-1.13) or viral cases (relative incidence=0.46, 95% CI 0.11-1.93). Our study confirms that the MMR vaccine does not increase the risk of invasive bacterial or viral infection in the 90 days after the vaccination and does not support the hypothesis that there is an induced immune deficiency due to overload from multi-antigen vaccines.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.vaccine.2008.12.038

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19 of 19 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • No significant differences were found comparing incidence of invasive bacterial diseases in risk periods with that of background period.

    “No significant differences were found comparing incidence of invasive bacterial diseases in risk periods with that of background period.”

    From Vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella in children (2012) · cites this paper as Stowe 2009

  • Admissions for lobar pneumonia were less frequent in the time between 0 and 30 days after MMR immunisation (RI 0.65; 95% CI 0.48 to 0.86) or during the 90 days following immunisation (RI 0.77; 95% CI 0.64 to 0.93).

    “Admissions for lobar pneumonia were less frequent in the time between 0 and 30 days after MMR immunisation (RI 0.65; 95% CI 0.48 to 0.86) or during the 90 days following immunisation (RI 0.77; 95% CI 0.64 to 0.93).”

    From Vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella in children (2012) · cites this paper as Stowe 2009

  • In a self-controlled case series, increased risk of herpes was found between 31 and 60 days after MMR immunisation (OR 1.69; 95% CI 1.06 to 2.70), with no significant association for other time intervals.

    “Increased risk between 31 and 60 days after immunisation (OR 1.69; 95% CI from 1. 06 to 2.70) .No significant association for the other time intervals”

    From Vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella in children (2012) · cites this paper as Stowe 2009

  • Multiple studies have shown that children who received vaccinations had a similar, or even reduced, risk of unconnected infections in the following period.

    “multiple studies have shown that children who received vaccinations had a similar, or even reduced, risk of unconnected infections in the following period92–95.”

    From A guide to vaccinology: from basic principles to new developments (2021) · cites this paper as [92]

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Authors
Stowe, J., Andrews, N., Taylor, B., & Miller, E.
Affiliations
  • Health Protection Agency (GB)
  • University College London (GB)
Corresponding author
Stowe, Julia
ORCID
Venue
Vaccine
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2009-02
Volume
27
Issue
9
Pages
1422-1425
ISSN
0264-410X (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.vaccine.2008.12.038
OpenAlex
W2064668271
Cited by
43
References
19
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 3
FWCI
2.24
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Vaccine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
Funders
National Institute for Health and Care Research (039/031)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Virology and Viral Diseases
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immune responses and vaccinations
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Microbiology › Bacterial Infections and Vaccines
Keywords
MMR vaccine, post-vaccination infection, invasive bacterial infection, viral infection, herpesvirus infection, multi-antigen vaccine, vaccine safety, self-controlled case series
MeSH terms
Admitting Department, Hospital, Adolescent, Child, United Kingdom, Humans, Measles, Measles Vaccine, Mumps, Mumps Vaccine, Rubella, Rubella Vaccine, Seasons, Incidence, Young Adult

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