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Title
Acute encephalopathy and chronic neurological damage after pertussis vaccine.
AuthorCowan LD; Griffin MR; Howson CP; Katz M; Johnston RB Jr; Shaywitz BA; Fineberg HV
AddressInstitute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC.
Source
Vaccine,
11:
14, 1993 Nov,
1371-9
AbstractIn August 1991, the Institute of Medicine released a report entitled Adverse Effects of Pertussis
and Rubella Vaccines, which examined, among others, the relation between immunization with whole-cell
diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis
(DTP) vaccine and both acute encephalopathy and chronic neurological damage. The committee reviewed information
from a wide range of both professional and lay sources and found that the evidence is consistent
with a possible causal relation between DTP vaccine and acute encephalopathy, although it is insufficient
to establish causality. The range of excess risk of acute encephalopathy following DTP immunization
is consistent with that estimated from the National Childhood Encephalopathy Study: 0.0 to 10.5 cases
per million immunizations. The committee concluded that the evidence is insufficient to indicate either
the presence or absence of a causal relationship between DTP vaccine and permanent neurological damage.
The evaluative methods used by the committee are briefly described and the evidence underlying its
conclusions presented.