Archive for the ‘Seizures’ Category
Can Vaccines Cause Seizures?
Answer by Russel Saneto, DO, Ph. D.
The CDC reports that seizures are associated with immunizations about 1 in every 10,000 immunizations. DTP immunizations have a 2 – 3 fold increase in seizures on the day of immunization and MMR has a slight increase in seizures 1 – 2 weeks after immunization. It is the recommendation that all patients with epilepsy have immunizations by the CDC.
We usually tell parents to use Tylenol the day of immunizations with DPT to prevent fever.
There is one caveat to this. If a patient has a mutation in the SCN1A gene, then any fever can be very problematic. In one study out of Australia there were a significant percentage of children who developed seizures after immunization who had a mutation in this gene.
Fortunately, most children do not have this mutation. In those children with the SCN1A gene mutation, I usually give them extra medication before their immunization.
It would be far worse for anyone with epilepsy to develop any of these diseases with respect to any seizure event caused by the immunization itself. This is not so far fetched as this past year there was an outbreak of pertussis at our Hospital and within the region. To get a job at Children’s Hospital, every one has to be vaccinated against pertussis. This would show that even with the best prevention, exposure and disease are possible.
