Do Vaccines Trigger Neurological Diseases? Epidemiological Evaluation of Vaccination and Neurological Diseases Using Examples of Multiple Sclerosis, Guillain–Barré Syndrome and Narcolepsy

Abstract

This article evaluates the epidemiological evidence for a relationship between vaccination and neurological disease, specifically multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barré syndrome and narcolepsy. The statistical methods used to test vaccine safety hypotheses are described and the merits of different study designs evaluated; these include the cohort, case-control, case-coverage and the self-controlled case-series methods. For multiple sclerosis, the evidence does not support the hypothesized relationship with hepatitis B vaccine. For Guillain−Barré syndrome, the evidence suggests a small elevated risk after influenza vaccines, though considerably lower than after natural influenza infection, with no elevated risk after human papilloma virus vaccine. For narcolepsy, there is strong evidence of a causal association with one adjuvanted vaccine used in the 2009/10 influenza pandemic. Rapid investigation of vaccine safety concerns, however biologically implausible, is essential to maintain public and professional confidence in vaccination programmes.

COVID-19 pandemic effects in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their caregivers: Evaluation of social distancing and lockdown impact on mental health and general status

“…Sleep quality was reported to worsen during the lockdown by informants, whereas the adults with ASD perceived the opposite outcome. This discrepancy can be explained by analyzing ASD sleep profiles, which are known to show insomnia and sleep phase delay ( Cortese, Wang, Angriman, Masi, & Bruni, 2020 ). During the lockdown period, environmental requirements of time schedules almost completely disappeared, making it unnecessary to get up at a certain time in the morning.…”

Reassessment of the risk of narcolepsy in children in England 8 years after receipt of the AS03-adjuvanted H1N1 pandemic vaccine: A case-coverage study

“…Although the interval between first healthcare contact and diagnosis was similar in vaccinated and unvaccinated cases, the former had a shorter interval from onset to first healthcare contact ( Fig 3 ), which, with the short follow-up interval in the earlier study, would have biased upwards the risk estimates. This earlier contact with healthcare may reflect more severe or abrupt onset in vaccinated cases or knowledge of the putative association prompting earlier consultation, even though the first evidence of heightened public interest in narcolepsy (as judged by Google searches in the UK) did not occur until December 2011 [ 15 ]. Despite the lower ORs in the current study, the estimated attributable risk (1 per 34,500 doses) was higher than estimated in the previous study (around 1 in 55,00 doses) because of the inclusion of a substantial number of vaccine-attributable cases with a diagnosis after July 2011.…”

Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms in Dementia (BPSD) and the Use of Antipsychotics

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