Vaccines and Febrile Seizures: The Risks Are Small and the Benefits Large

Concomitant administration of inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV3) and pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in infants and young children is associated with a slightly elevated risk for febrile seizures. Whether this elevated risk also exists with other simultaneously administered vaccines has not been determined.

Using 2006–2011 data from the CDC's Vaccine Safety Datalink, researchers assessed the risk for febrile seizure in infants and children aged 6–23 months who had received at least one vaccination in the prior 24 hours (risk interval). Children with a febrile seizure 14–20 days after vaccination (control interval) served as a control group. The researchers identified 333 children with confirmed febrile seizures, 103 in the risk inte…