Peer-reviewed article
MMRV vaccine safety: A comprehensive analysis of adverse events recorded among pediatric populations.
Kai Yan, Guang Yang, Lixuan Yan, Ruopei Wu, Li Wu et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study analyzed adverse events reported after MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella, varicella) vaccination in children under seven years old using US data from 2005 to 2025. Most reported adverse events were not serious, but the study found increased risks of seizures in children with epilepsy and wheezing in children with asthma following vaccination. The researchers recommend targeted protective measures for these high-risk groups to maintain vaccine confidence while improving vaccination coverage.
Key points
- Among 13,724 adverse event reports, 94.1% were classified as non-serious
- Children with epilepsy showed a significantly increased risk of seizures after MMRV vaccination (6.57 to 16.05 times higher), with 63.2% of seizures occurring within 48 hours
- Children with asthma showed a 6.81-fold increase in risk of wheezing after vaccination
- Children with chronic kidney disease showed no significant increased risk of adverse events
- Conjunctival disorder had the highest reporting rate signal among all adverse events
Limitations
This is an observational analysis of spontaneous reports to VAERS, which may be subject to reporting bias and cannot definitively establish causation. The study does not compare vaccinated and unvaccinated populations, so it cannot determine the true incidence or risk relative to the diseases prevented by vaccination.
Abstract
Measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccines are widely used in global immunization programs, but safety data on their administration in children remain limited. We analyzed adverse events following immunization(AEFIs) associated with the MMRV vaccine in children under seven y of age, as reported to the US Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) from 2005 to 2025. Disproportionality analyses were applied, with multiple testing correction using a 5% false discovery rate. Subgroup assessments focused on children with asthma, epilepsy, and chronic kidney disease. The results show that among the 13,724 reports, 94.1% were non-serious cases, and the signal of Conjunctival Disorder had the highest reporting rate (ROR = 61.13, 95%confidence interval[CI]: 6.36-587.74). The risk of seizures in children with epilepsy significantly increased (ROR = 10.27, 95% CI: 6.57-16.05), with 63.2% occurring within 48 h after vaccination; a 6.81-fold increase in ROR was observed in the risk of wheezing in children with asthma, and no significant risk increment was observed in the chronic kidney disease group. Susceptibility to risks varied across subgroups. Weibull distribution analysis indicated that AEFIs following MMRV exhibited early-onset characteristics. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of MMRV vaccine safety and highlights the need for targeted protective measures in children with epilepsy and asthma to reduce vaccine hesitancy and improve vaccination coverage.