Vaccinations no risk for asthma
23 June 2004

Childhood vaccinations do not increase the risk of developing asthma, Asthma UK-funded research has found.

As the prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases has risen over the last few decades, it has been suggested that the increase in the number of children being immunised may be to blame.

Scientists at the University of Nottingham set out to discover if such a connection did exist. They studied the medical records of almost 30,000 British children born in 1988, until aged 11.

'It is important to gain a detailed understating of the relationship between vaccination and allergic disease,' said Dr Tricia McKeever, who led the study. 'A perception that vaccination is harmful may have an adverse impact on the effectiveness of immunisation programmes.'

They found no connection between the development of asthma and immunisation with the measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine or the diphtheria/polio/pertussis/tetanus (DPPT) vaccine.

Specialist nurse Katie Shepherd, who manages the Asthma UK Adviceline, commented, 'It's vital to protect young children against infections that are potentially life-threatening, which is why immunisation is recommended for the majority of children. If parents are in any doubt about vaccinations, they should discuss it with their doctor or health visitor.'

The research was published in the American Journal of Public Health.