More Evidence That Inactivated Flu Vaccine Is Safe in Children with Sickle Cell Disease

A large cohort study showed no significant increase in risk for sickle cell crises during the 2 weeks after influenza vaccination.

An earlier, population-based study in children aged 6 to 23 months showed that the risk for sickle cell crises was slightly but nonsignificantly increased during the 14 days following receipt of trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV) compared with a prevaccination control period (JAMA 2006; 296:1990). Now, the same research group has conducted a large cohort study, again using records from the eight managed-care institutions involved in the CDC's Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) project. During each of the study years, the VSD cohort included about 2.2 million children aged <18 years.

The present study involved all children aged 6 months to 17 years who were in the VSD cohort between 1999 and 2006 and had a diagnosis of sickle cell disease (SCD). Ch…

Reviewing Author

Robert S. Baltimore, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsInfectious Diseases in Children

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesMember Committee on Rheumatic Fever, Endocarditis and Kawasaki Disease

Robert S. Baltimore, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsInfectious Diseases in Children

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesMember Committee on Rheumatic Fever, Endocarditis and Kawasaki Disease