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. 2024 Dec;30(14):1825-1829.
doi: 10.1177/13524585241297003. Epub 2024 Nov 14.

Vaccination as a risk factor for pediatric multiple sclerosis: Insights from a retrospective case-control study

Sonia Darvishi  1 , Ewan Donnachie  2 , Christiane Gasperi  1 , Alexander Hapfelmeier  3 , Bernhard Hemmer  4
Affiliations

Vaccination as a risk factor for pediatric multiple sclerosis: Insights from a retrospective case-control study

Sonia Darvishi et al. Mult Scler. 2024 Dec.

Abstract

This study evaluated the association between pediatric multiple sclerosis and vaccinations within 5 years before diagnosis using German ambulatory claims data. Children with multiple sclerosis (n = 346) aged 9-17 were analyzed with logistic and Poisson regression. Control groups included children with Crohn's disease, psoriasis, and no autoimmune diseases. The results indicated a negative association between vaccinations and pediatric multiple sclerosis, with no significant risk identified. This negative relationship was consistent in sensitivity and clinically isolated syndrome analyses. Overall, the study's findings do not support the hypothesis that vaccination is a risk factor for pediatric multiple sclerosis.

Keywords: Pediatric multiple sclerosis; diagnosis; vaccination.

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Conflict of interest statement

Data AvailabilityFor data protection reasons, the authors cannot distribute the underlying data. Interested researchers may contact the corresponding author or the BASHIP to request access. Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: B.H. has served on scientific advisory boards for Novartis; he has received research grants from Hoffmann La Roche for multiple sclerosis research. He has received honoraria for counseling (Gerson Lehrmann Group). He holds part of two patents; one for the detection of antibodies against KIR4.1 in a subpopulation of served as a DMSC member for AllergyCare, Sandoz, Polpharma, Biocon, and TG therapeutics; his institution patients with multiple sclerosis and one for genetic determinants of neutralizing antibodies to interferon. None of the conflicts are relevant to the topic of the study.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Odd ratios (ORs) of any vaccination for MS in the 5 years before the diagnosis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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