Link Between Vaccine and MS Unproven

Majority of children vaccinated against hepatitis B not at risk for the condition, study says

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TUESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Children vaccinated against hepatitis B probably are not at an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) unless they were inoculated with a particular brand of the vaccine, according to a new study.

The French study found that children with MS were almost twice as likely to have received the vaccine called Engerix B three or more years before the disease's onset. Further studies will need to be done to determine whether the vaccine is a direct cause of the development of MS.

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The study, which involved 349 children with MS and 2,941 children without the disease, is to be published in the Oct. 8 online issue of Neurology.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about vaccinations.

-- Kevin McKeever