Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between receipt of routine childhood immunizations and infant mortality before 6 months of age. METHODS: This was an observational study of 10 274 infants, in a randomized trial of vitamin A supplementation, who received the study dose and survived to at least 1 week of age. The primary outcome was mortality before 6 months of age, analysed in Cox regression models as a function of vaccine receipt and gender. RESULTS: Receipt of Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) or diphtheria, tetanus, polio (DTP) vaccine was associated with significant reductions of one-half to two-thirds of mortality hazards; among girls, those who received both BCG and DTP experienced higher mortality than those who received only one of the two vaccines (hazards ratio 2.4; 95% confidence interval 1.2-5.0). CONCLUSION: The reduced mortality rate associated with receipt of BCG or DTP may be due to both biological and selection factors; the analyses regarding the combined effect of these vaccines and gender need to be replicated in other settings.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 947-955 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Tropical Medicine and International Health |
Volume | 10 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 2005 |
Keywords
- BCG
- DTP
- Infant mortality
- Vaccines
- Vitamin A
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Parasitology
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Infectious Diseases