Pertussis immunisation in children with a family or personal history of convulsions: a review of children referred for specialist advice.

Abstract

Recent guidelines recommend that children with a family or personal history of convulsions should receive all vaccinations. To determine vaccination status and adverse events following vaccination, questionnaires were sent to the general practitioners of 83 children referred for specialist advice between January 1988 and June 1991 in Redbridge Health Authority. Details of consultations within seven days of vaccination, and of any subsequent neurological or developmental problems were collected. Follow-up data were obtained for 77 of the 83 children (93%); 66 of whom had a family history, and 11 a personal history, of convulsions. Of the 66 children with a family history of convulsions, 57 received pertussis-containing vaccines, of whom one child was reviewed for a possible neurological event. Of the nine remaining children who received diphtheria-tetanus (DT) only vaccine, two children were reviewed for possible neurological events. Of the 11 children with a personal history of convulsions, nine received pertussis-containing vaccines and two received DT vaccines; none had any further neurological event. At late follow-up, none of the 77 children vaccinated had developed recurrent convulsions or any other neurological or developmental problems. Children with a family or personal history of convulsions who are given pertussis-containing vaccines seem unlikely to suffer adverse events or long-term neurological sequelae, and should be considered for all routine vaccinations in line with current recommendations.