Examination of the safety of pediatric vaccine schedules in a non-human primate model: assessments of neurodevelopment, learning, and social behavior

In the 1990s, the mercury-based preservative thimerosal was used in most pediatric vaccines. Although there are currently only two thimerosal-containing vaccines (TCVs) recommended for pediatric use, parental perceptions that vaccines pose safety concerns are affecting vaccination rates, particularl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental health perspectives 2015-06, Vol.123 (6), p.579-579
Main Authors: Curtis, Britni, Liberato, Noelle, Rulien, Megan, Morrisroe, Kelly, Kenney, Caroline, Yutuc, Vernon, Ferrier, Clayton, Marti, C Nathan, Mandell, Dorothy, Burbacher, Thomas M, Sackett, Gene P, Hewitson, Laura
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acquisitions & mergers
Age
Animal behavior
Animals
Babies
Behavior
Birth weight
Case-Control Studies
Complications and side effects
Environmental protection
Gestational age
Health aspects
Hepatitis
Immunization
Immunization Schedule
Infants
Influenza
Laboratory animals
Learning
Learning - drug effects
Macaca mulatta
Male
Marketing
Medical laboratories
Mercury
Models, Animal
Monkeys & apes
Neurodevelopmental Disorders - chemically induced
Neurotoxins - adverse effects
Neurotoxins - toxicity
Pediatrics
Preservatives
Preservatives, Pharmaceutical - adverse effects
Preservatives, Pharmaceutical - pharmacology
Primates
Safety
Schedules
Social Behavior
Studies
Thimerosal
Thimerosal - adverse effects
Thimerosal - pharmacology
Vaccines
Vaccines - adverse effects
Vaccines - pharmacology
Variance analysis
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Summary:In the 1990s, the mercury-based preservative thimerosal was used in most pediatric vaccines. Although there are currently only two thimerosal-containing vaccines (TCVs) recommended for pediatric use, parental perceptions that vaccines pose safety concerns are affecting vaccination rates, particularly in light of the much expanded and more complex schedule in place today. The objective of this study was to examine the safety of pediatric vaccine schedules in a non-human primate model. We administered vaccines to six groups of infant male rhesus macaques (n = 12-16/group) using a standardized thimerosal dose where appropriate. Study groups included the recommended 1990s Pediatric vaccine schedule, an accelerated 1990s Primate schedule with or without the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, the MMR vaccine only, and the expanded 2008 schedule. We administered saline injections to age-matched control animals (n = 16). Infant development was assessed from birth to 12 months of age by examining the acquisition of neonatal reflexes, the development of object concept permanence (OCP), computerized tests of discrimination learning, and infant social behavior. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance, multilevel modeling, and survival analyses, where appropriate. We observed no group differences in the acquisition of OCP. During discrimination learning, animals receiving TCVs had improved performance on reversal testing, although some of these same animals showed poorer performance in subsequent learning-set testing. Analysis of social and nonsocial behaviors identified few instances of negative behaviors across the entire infancy period. Although some group differences in specific behaviors were reported at 2 months of age, by 12 months all infants, irrespective of vaccination status, had developed the typical repertoire of macaque behaviors. This comprehensive 5-year case-control study, which closely examined the effects of pediatric vaccines on early primate development, provided no consistent evidence of neurodevelopmental deficits or aberrant behavior in vaccinated animals.
ISSN:0091-6765
1552-9924
DOI:10.1289/ehp.1408257