Vaccination and allergic disease: a birth cohort study.

OBJECTIVES

We examined the effect of vaccination for diphtheria; polio; pertussis and tetanus; or measles, mumps, and rubella on the incidence of physician-diagnosed asthma and eczema.

METHODS

We used a previously established birth cohort in the West Midlands General Practice research database.

RESULTS

We found an association between vaccination and the development of allergic disease; however, this association was present only among children with the fewest physician visits and can be explained by this factor.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that currently recommended routine vaccinations are not a risk factor for asthma or eczema.