The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine does not increase the risk of Crohn's disease (chronic inflammation of the intestine), finds a study in this week's British Medical Journal (BMJ).
It has been hypothesized that the MMR vaccine increases the risk of Crohn's disease, although the evidence for this is sparse. The study provides strong evidence against this theory and adds to the evidence that MMR vaccine is no less safe in this respect than the single measles vaccine.
Valerie Seagroatt, a statistician at Oxford University, analyzed national data on hospital admissions for Crohn's disease in children and adolescents over the 12 years from April 1991 to March 2003.
She plotted rates for narrow (three-year) age bands and compared rates for those born before and after the introduction of the vaccine. She found no increase in Crohn's disease associated with the introduction of the MMR vaccination program, providing strong evidence against the hypothesis that MMR vaccine increases the risk of Crohn's disease.
Reference: MMR vaccine and Crohn's disease: ecological study of hospital admissions in England, 1991 to 2002 BMJ Volume 330, pp 1120-1
Source: BMJ
Revolutionizing Infection Prevention: How Fewer Hand Hygiene Observations Can Boost Patient Safety
December 23rd 2024Discover how reducing hand hygiene observations from 200 to 50 per unit monthly can optimize infection preventionists' time, enhance safety culture, and improve patient outcomes.
Pula General Hospital Celebrates Clean Hospitals
December 16th 2024Learn how Pula General Hospital in Croatia championed infection prevention and environmental hygiene and celebrated Clean Hospitals Day to honor cleaning staff and promote advanced practices for exceptional patient care and safety.
Understanding NHSN's 2022 Rebaseline Data: Key Updates and Implications for HAI Reporting
December 13th 2024Discover how the NHSN 2022 Rebaseline initiative updates health care-associated infection metrics to align with modern health care trends, enabling improved infection prevention strategies and patient safety outcomes.
Tackling Health Care-Associated Infections: SHEA’s Bold 10-Year Research Plan to Save Lives
December 12th 2024Discover SHEA's visionary 10-year plan to reduce HAIs by advancing infection prevention strategies, understanding transmission, and improving diagnostic practices for better patient outcomes.
Environmental Hygiene: Air Pressure and Ventilation: Negative vs Positive Pressure
December 10th 2024Learn more about how effective air pressure regulation in health care facilities is crucial for controlling airborne pathogens like tuberculosis and COVID-19, ensuring a safer environment for all patients and staff.