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Acceptance and timeliness of standard vaccination in children with chronic neurological deficits in north-western Switzerland

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Abstract

There are no special recommendations for basic vaccinations in patients with chronic neurological deficits distinct from the nationwide advocated schedule in Switzerland. Reports describing adverse neurological events possibly related to vaccinations have attracted public attention. It is unclear if patients with chronic neurological deficits are more reluctantly vaccinated compared to healthy children. We therefore investigated the acceptance of vaccinations in such patients and healthy controls in a retrospective case-control study. At the University Children’s Hospital, Basel, Switzerland we investigated 100 patients with chronic neurological deficits and 200 age-matched healthy controls regarding the issue of vaccination rates and ages. The total number of administered vaccinations against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), mumps, measles, rubella and hepatitis B were significantly lower in patients compared to healthy controls ( P <0.01 for each of the respective vaccines). Patients had an increased risk to receive the third pertussis, diphtheria, and tetanus vaccinations (relative risks (RR) for late vaccination 1.53, 1.53, and 1.54 respectively, P <0.01 for all comparisons), the second (RR=1.60, P <0.05) and third Hib vaccinations (RR=1.52, P <0.05), and the third polio vaccination (RR=1.43, P <0.05) later than controls. Conclusion:Children with chronic neurological deficits received fewer vaccinations than healthy controls. In addition, patients received vaccinations later than healthy children. Hence, it may be assumed that children with chronic neurological deficits are at an increased risk to acquire preventable infections. Therefore, vaccination should be promoted as part of the consultation during a routine appointment with the specialist.

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Abbreviations

DTP :

diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis

hep B :

hepatitis B

Hib :

Haemophilus influenzae type B

MMR :

mumps, measles and rubella

RR :

relative risk

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Acknowledgements

This study could not have been performed without the help of many colleagues and nurses of the University Children’s Hospital in Basel, Switzerland. We thank each of them for their contribution, especially R. Bubl, U. Blauenstein and V. Grote. We thank C. Schindler, Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Basel, Switzerland, for expert statistical advice.

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Correspondence to Bettina Ute Tillmann.

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Tillmann, B.U., Tillmann, HC., Heininger, U. et al. Acceptance and timeliness of standard vaccination in children with chronic neurological deficits in north-western Switzerland. Eur J Pediatr 164, 320–325 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-005-1627-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-005-1627-x

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