Trends in the infant immunization schedule and childhood asthma prevalence are not parallel

Purpose Various studies have found a positive association between vaccines and prevalent asthma. Aluminum adjuvants used in vaccines are one possible cause of the observed association. We examined recent trends in both the infant immunization schedule and trends in asthma prevalence. Methods We abstracted standard recommendations produced by the Advisory Council on Immunization Practices (ACIP) from 1980 to 2004 and average aluminum content in marketed vaccines from the Physicianʹs Desk Reference. We then graphed the total number of recommended infant immunizations, the average aluminum adjuvant dose, and the prevalence of asthma in 5–14 year old U.S. children for years 1980–1999. Results image Conclusion While asthma prevalence rates among 5–14 year old children rose rapidly from 1980 through 1995, these children were not exposed to increasing numbers of vaccines or increasing doses of aluminum adjuvants. This observation does not support to a direct causal relationship between vaccines and asthma.