Vaccine does not appear linked to serious disease

The question: With more than 90 percent of American children getting the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella (German measles), it’s now rare for children to have these diseases. Nonetheless, questions of serious side effects – particularly a suspected link to autism or bowel disease – have dogged the vaccination process. Might these concerns be justified?

This study reviewed data from 31 studies, involving more than 12 million children who were given the MMR vaccine; some studies included comparison groups that were given a placebo or no injection. The analysis found that vaccinated children had fewer upper respiratory infections and more reported incidents, shortly after the shots, of irritability, fever and achy joints. It found no association between the vaccine and autism or such inflammatory bowel disorders as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.

Who may be affected by these findings? Children. Medical experts recommend, and many U.S. schools require, that children have the MMR vaccine, which is given in stages, usually starting when a child is 12 to 15 months old.

Caveats: The review did not report on the effectiveness of the vaccine, only on unintended effects. Not all of the studies reviewed included children who could be used for comparison with the vaccinated group.

Find this study: Oct. 19 online edition (Issue 4) of the Cochrane Library; abstract available at www.thecochranelibrary.com (search for “vaccines for measles,” using quotation marks).

Learn more about childhood vaccines at http://kidshealth.org/parent and www.familydoctor.org.