More Evidence For MMR Vaccine Safety

A letter published in The Lancet (May 2) has provided further supportfor the safety of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, which has recently been linked to a syndrome characterized by autism and inflammatory bowel disease (Marketletter March 16).

Heikki Peltola and colleagues from Finland report a wealth of data on the use of MMR since the Finnish authorities set out to eradicate the diseases in 1982. All adverse events attributed to the vaccine since then have been reported to the National Board of Health, and by the end of 1996, some three million doses of the vaccine had been given. In Finland, children receive two doses of MMR at age 14-18 months and at 6 years.

31 children developed gastrointestinal symptoms after vaccination, in all cases bar one after the first dose. The researchers followed up on those developing GI symptoms, and found that no child had gone on to develop an autism-like disorder. Subsidence of GI symptoms within a week was usual, except in one child who had diarrhea for six weeks, but subsequently made a full recovery.