Infant immunization and
the occurrence of atopic disease in Dutch and German children: a nested
case-control study.
Mommers M, Weishoff-Houben M,
Swaen GM, Creemers H, Freund H, Dott W, van Schayck
CP.
Institute for Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, RWTH
Aachen, Aachen, Germany. monique.mommers@post.rwth-aachen.de
Our
goal was to assess the role of early childhood vaccination in the
occurrence of respiratory symptoms and allergic sensitization in
7-8-year-old Dutch and German children. A nested case-control study was
conducted among children participating in a large longitudinal study on
respiratory health, to study the relationship between vaccination
(bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG), pertussis, measles/mumps, rubella, and
Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib)) and respiratory symptoms and
allergic sensitization. Parents of 510 7-8-year-old children with
respiratory complaints and an equal number of randomly selected children
without respiratory complaints were asked to complete a questionnaire.
Blood samples were collected for specific serum IgE analysis.
Vaccination status was assessed through the records of the participating
Municipal Health Services. No association between vaccination against
pertussis, measles, rubella, or Hib and respiratory symptoms or allergic
sensitization was found. For sensitization against house dust mite, BCG
vaccination resulted in an increased risk (OR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.05-4.96).
Birth order was inversely associated with allergic sensitization, but
was not related to respiratory symptoms. We found an association between
BCG vaccination and the subsequent risk for sensitization against house
dust mite. No evidence was found for an association between vaccination
and respiratory symptoms. Earlier reports of an association of birth
order with atopic disease were supported by the results of the present
study.