One reason pediatric health care policy makers gave for pushing early vaccination of infants with the measles, mumps, and rubella shots, was to help them avoid hospitalizations for other types of infections.
However, a new study of 6,536 infants shows that early vaccination makes no difference in hospitalization rates. In the study, conducted in Denmark, 3,264 infants received the vaccine; 786 were subsequently hospitalized. Of the placebo group of 3,272, 762 were hospitalized.
“Findings of this trial … do not support the hypothesis that live attenuated MMR vaccine administered early to infants aged 5 to 7 months decreases the rate of hospitalizations for non-targeted infection before age 12 months,” researchers concluded.
SOURCE:
The BMJ April 19, 2023