Short summary

This study examine non-specific effects of vaccines among children.

Rationale

Children in the Nordic Countries are offered many vaccines that protect against a wide variety of specific infectious diseases. Studies from low-income countries indicate that vaccines might also alter the resistance towards other diseases.

The main aim of this project is to examine if vaccines can affect the health of children in Nordic Countries, besides the protection offered against the targeted diseases. We will examine this by analysing register information on vaccinations, hospitalisations, and medication use for children in Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. We will also include information on socio-economic conditions, as this might affect both vaccination- and health-status.

Description of the cohort

Children born from 1990 and onwards in Denmark and their families.

Data and biological material

Data from national registries on health and demographics. Only Danish data related to OPEN.

Collaborating researchers and departments

Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital (Signe Sørup); Unit for vaccination programmes, Public Health Agency of Sweden (Hélène Englund ); Division of Infection Control, Norwegian Institute of Public Health (Ida Laake, Berit Feiring, and Lill Trogstad), Department of Public Health and Welfare, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (Heta Nieminen, Arto A Palmu, and Mika Lahdenkari); Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Lillebaelt Hospital, University Hospital of Southern Denmark (Signe Vahlkvist and Poul Erik Kofoed)

Publications associated with the project

Gehrt L, Laake I, Englund H, Nieminen H, Feiring B, Lahdenkari M, Palmu AA, Trogstad L, Benn CS, Sørup S. Cohort Profile: Childhood morbidity and potential non-specific effects of the childhood vaccination programmes in the Nordic countries (NONSEnse): register-based cohort of children born 1990-2017/2018. BMJ open. 2023;13(2):e065984.

Sorup S, Englund H, Laake I, Nieminen H, Gehrt L, Feiring B, Trogstad L, Roth A, Benn CS. Revaccination with measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and hospitalization for infection in Denmark and Sweden - An interrupted time-series analysis. Vaccine. 2022;40(11):1583-93

Skajaa N, Gehrt L, Nieminen H, Laake I, Englund H, Sonksen UW, Feiring B, Benn CS, Trogstad L, Palmu AA, Sorup S. Trends in Antibiotic Use in Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish Children. Clinical epidemiology. 2022;14:937-47.

Gehrt L, Laake I, Englund H, Nieminen H, Benn CS, Feiring B, Trogstad L, Palmu AA, Sorup S. Hospital Contacts for Infectious Diseases Among Children in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, 2008-2017. Clinical epidemiology. 2022;14:609-21.