09 May Vaccination Mortality No Different For Boys or Girls
MedicalResearch.com Interview with
Tessa Schurink-van ‘t Klooster
Epidemioloog Rijksvaccinatieprogramma
Epidemiologie en Surveillance
RIVM – Centrum Infectieziektebestrijding
3720 BA Bilthoven
MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study?
Answer: The main finding of this study was that we observed no differences in mortality rate ratios for females compared to males related to the type of last offered vaccination in DTP- and MMR-eligible age groups.
MedicalResearch: Were any of the findings unexpected?
Answer: These findings were expected because non-specific effects of vaccination are less likely to influence overall mortality in high-income settings because of the low prevalence of infectious diseases and the small number of children who die due to infectious diseases.
MedicalResearch: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?
Answer: The results of this study indicates that when potentially non-specific effects of vaccination are present in this high-income setting, this is not reflected in changes in the difference in mortality between boys and girls. These findings in this large population-based study are reassuring for the continued trust in the safety of the national vaccination programme.
MedicalResearch: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Answer: Ongoing evaluation of non-specific effects of vaccination on mortality and morbidity in high-income countries is needed to guide policy and to provide accurate information of the benefits and risks of vaccination.
Citation: Abstract presented at the 2014 European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases ESPID
Last Updated on May 9, 2014 by Marie Benz MD FAAD