Febrile seizures in young children who receive vaccinations age are much rarer than some might think, occurring in just about three children out of 10,000, according to new research published in Pediatrics. The authors concluded that only certain vaccines, or combinations of vaccines, actually increase the risk of febrile seizures.
The only vaccine to independently increase a child's risk of febrile seizure was PCV 7-valent, a form of vaccine that protects against pneumococcal disease, which can cause infections ranging from ear infections to deadly meningitis. When a trivalent influenza vaccine was given along with a PCV, or a combination diphtheria-tetanus-acellular-pertussis vaccine, risk increased as well. The maximum risk of febrile seizure for patients receiving vaccines was the trivalent flu vaccine, the PCV and DTaP taken all together, compared to administration on separate days. The combination resulted in 30 febrile seizures per 100,000 children, according to the paper.
"The basic message is, while there is an increase compared to giving them on separate days, the absolute amount of that risk is so, so very small that for the average person, it won't really affect their chances of having a febrile seizure," lead study author Jonathan Duffy, MD, told NPR.
Dr. Duffy also told NPR that febrile seizures occur in about 2 to 5 percent of children, are often benign and don't usually have long term effects.