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Health promotion and public health
Study shows lower vaccination rates for younger siblings after autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in older siblings
  1. Samantha Vanderslott
  1. Oxford Vaccine Group & Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
  1. Correspondence to Dr Samantha Vanderslott, Oxford Vaccine Group & Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford, 34 Broad St, Oxford, OX1 2BD, UK. ; samantha.vanderslott{at}paediatrics.ox.ac.uk

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Commentary on: Zerbo O, et al. Vaccination patterns in children after autism spectrum disorder diagnosis and in their younger siblings. JAMA Pediatr 2018;172(5):46975.

Implications for practice and research

  • The younger siblings of children who received an autism spectrum diagnosis are shown to have lower vaccination rates than the younger siblings of children who have not received an autism spectrum diagnosis. The benefit of applying this knowledge in practice would be to take steps to target this subpopulation.

  • The research is novel in that previous studies were not as large or focused. The retrospective matched cohort study uses ‘Vaccine Safety Datalink’ information from six integrated healthcare delivery systems across the USA.

  • Future research could explore strategies for engaging with parents who have received an autism spectrum diagnosis for older children when considering vaccinating younger siblings.

Context

Much interest has been placed on the reasons for declining vaccination rates and whether the belief that vaccination causes autism plays a part. This study by …

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Footnotes

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Provenance and peer review Commissioned; internally peer reviewed.