Illness Following MMR Immunization in Indian and Non-Indian Children.

A cohort study was undertaken to see if the frequency of office reported illness during the three weeks after MMR immunization was greater among Indian children (N=127) compared to non-Indian children (N=81) attending a family practice centre. All children had been given HPV(77)DE(5) vaccine or RA 27/3 vaccine between ages 11 and 24 months. Illness after immunization was not related to frequency of attendance at the medical centre or weight at age 12 months. The overall illness rate for Indian children was almost twice the rate for non-Indians. Indian children who were ill before immunization were more likely to be ill during the three week post-MMR period. No such relationship was noted among non-Indian children. This suggests that children with an established record of frequent illness are likely to experience an illness following MMR immunization. These results need to be confirmed by a prospective study.