Routine childhood vaccines and aluminum adjuvants show no link to early-childhood epilepsy

A case-control study using Vaccine Safety Datalink records found no association between following the routine childhood vaccine schedule or cumulative aluminum adjuvant exposure and epilepsy risk in children under four; researchers compared 2,089 epilepsy cases with 20,139 matched controls.

A new case-control study published in The Journal of Pediatrics reports no association between routine childhood vaccination, including aluminum-containing adjuvants, and the development of epilepsy in young children. The research team from the Marshfield Clinic Research Institute analyzed a decade of Vaccine Safety Datalink data and focused on children diagnosed with epilepsy between age 1 year and under 4 years. The study used two exposure measures: adherence to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) schedule and cumulative aluminum exposure from vaccine adjuvants. The authors note strengths such as multi-site, long-term data and also list several limitations. Key findings: - The study identified 2,089 children diagnosed with epilepsy (age 1 to <4 years) and matched them to 20,139 children without epilepsy by age, sex, and health care site. - Neither following the ACIP childhood vaccine schedule nor higher cumulative aluminum adjuvant exposure was associated with higher odds of epilepsy; adjusted odds ratios did not exceed 1.0. - A subgroup signal suggested infants aged 1–2 months who received vaccines containing a combined AH/AP adjuvant had about twice the odds of an epilepsy diagnosis, but this result did not reach statistical significance and the authors recommended follow-up study of medical-record–reviewed outcomes in that age group. - Children with established risk factors (prematurity, prior epilepsy, or underlying neurologic/medical conditions) had substantially higher odds of developing epilepsy compared with those without such factors. - Noted limitations include the study’s restriction to early childhood follow-up, inability to account for non-vaccine aluminum exposures, and exclusion of newer vaccines such as some COVID, RSV, and influenza vaccines. Summary: The study adds to existing evidence reported in the article that routine childhood vaccines and the aluminum used as adjuvants are not linked to increased epilepsy risk in early childhood. The authors describe the results as additional reassurance on the safety of the childhood immunization schedule and indicate that a follow-up review of medical records for outcomes in the 1–2 month subgroup may be warranted.