Two Main Measles Vaccines Deemed Safe

In a 12 year study conducted by Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Study Center, 2 main measles vaccines were determined safe, spurring no adverse reactions.

“This level of safety monitoring for vaccines can give the public confidence that vaccine surveillance is ongoing and that if a safety problem existed, it would be detected,” lead author Nicola P. Klein, MD, PhD, co-director of the Vaccine Study Center said in a Kaiser Permanente release.

For their analysis, investigators observed children 12 to 23 months, from January 2000 through June 2012 who received measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (or) or measles-mumps-rubella and varicella (or MMR + V) vaccines.

Of the 123, 200 MMRV and 584, 987 MMR + V doses administered, researchers looked for 7 adverse outcomes includinganaphylaxis, ITP, ataxia, arthritis, meningitis/encephalitis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, Kawasaki disease, seizure, and fever.

In doing so, researchers noted not only there was no link between neurological, blood or immune system disorders and the vaccines, that neither of the MMRV or MMR + V injections caused an increased risk.

“In fact, there were few or zero events for several outcomes following vaccination. These findings indicate that even if an increased risk for these outcomes exists, the risk is low and rare. This should reassure parents that these outcomes are unlikely after either vaccine.” Dr. Klein commented.

Even though the authors confirmed previous research that claimed MMRV and MMR + V vaccine were tied to febrile seizures 10 days after vaccinations among 1-year-old children,the seizures rarely occur, only happening in 1 of every 1,000 administrations.

“This study did not identify any new safety concerns comparing MMRV with MMR + V or after either the MMRV or the MMR + V vaccine,” researchers reported in Pediatrics. “This study provides reassurance that these outcomes are unlikely after either vaccine.”