The CDC Is Not Misleading Parents About the Risk of Febrile Seizures From Vaccines
Believe it or not, Alex Berenson is wrong again in his latest reporting that “the CDC is misleading parents about the risk of febrile seizures from vaccines.”
“The agency’s misinformation about the risk of post-vaccine seizures comes alongside a general effort to downplay them. “Febrile seizures do not cause any permanent harm and do not have any lasting effects,” the agency proclaims.”
Alex Berenson
He claims that the CDC is downplaying the risks of febrile seizures and is using “an inaccurately low estimate of the risk of febrile seizures in children following measles and other vaccinations.”
The Risk of Febrile Seizures From the ProQuad Vaccine
What isn’t Alex Berenson telling you?
He isn’t telling you that this small extra risk of febrile seizures only occurs in a very specific situation.
The extra risk occurs in younger toddlers receiving ProQuad, the combination measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox vaccine.
That’s why many pediatricians give these vaccines as the two separate MMR and chickenpox vaccines.
Well okay, with the separate MMR and chickenpox shots, there is still a small risk of febrile seizures from the MMR vaccine, but again, it is even smaller than the combined vaccine.
And of course, it is because these vaccines can sometimes trigger a fever that they can cause febrile seizures.
The CDC Is Not Misleading Parents About the Risk of Febrile Seizures From Vaccines
What else can trigger fever and febrile seizures?
Having measles, mumps, rubella, or chickenpox!
“Vaccinating children at the recommended age may prevent some febrile seizures by protecting children against measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, influenza, pneumococcal infections and other diseases that can cause fever and febrile seizures.”
Febrile Seizures and Vaccines
And that’s why the CDC recommends that parents vaccinate their kids if they want to reduce their risk of their getting febrile seizures.
As a bonus, if you are vaccinated, you also have a much lower risk of dying or developing:
non-febrile seizures from measles encephalitis
non-febrile seizures from mumps encephalitis
having a child who develops non-febrile seizures because they have congenital rubella syndrome and meningoencephalitis
non-febrile seizures from chickenpox meningitis or encephalitis
Of course, Alex Berenson doesn’t mention any of this.
“MMR vaccination was associated with a transient increased rate of febrile seizures but the risk difference was small even in high-risk children. The long-term rate of epilepsy was not increased in children who had febrile seizures following vaccination compared with children who had febrile seizures of a different etiology.”
MMR Vaccination and Febrile Seizures
Nor does he mention that the “gold-standard 2004 Danish research” he cites concluded that “MMR vaccination is an effective health intervention.”
Also, when Alex Berenson is talking about “a rate of febrile seizure of nine per 10,000 vaccinations among MMRV vaccine recipients,” he is citing “preliminary results” of a Vaccine Safety Datalink Study that was discussed at an ACIP meeting.
“The excess risk for febrile seizures 7 to 10 days after MMRV compared with separate MMR + varicella vaccination was 4.3 per 10,000 doses.”
Measles-mumps-rubella-varicella combination vaccine and the risk of febrile seizures
Not surprisingly, he doesn’t look at the results of the final study, a study that confirms that our vaccine safety systems work, as it detected this febrile seizure signal!
“Vaccination with MMRV results in 1 additional febrile seizure for every 2300 doses given instead of separate MMR + varicella vaccines. Providers who recommend MMRV should communicate to parents that it increases the risk of fever and seizure over that already associated with measles-containing vaccines.”
Measles-mumps-rubella-varicella combination vaccine and the risk of febrile seizures
A study which found the excess risk of getting a combined MMRV vaccine to be 4.3 per 10,000 doses.
Which is about the same as described on the CDC on Febrile Seizures and Vaccines he is writing about. They are talking about the excess risk from combination vaccines.
Alex Berenson is Misleading Parents About the Risk of Febrile Seizures From Natural Infections
And what is the risk of seizures from natural infections?
At least 1 in 1000 cases.
And if you are having seizures from a natural measles, mumps, or chickenpox infection, or congenital rubella syndrome, then they might not just be simple febrile seizures. You might have permanent brain damage or a life-threatening infection.
So Alex Berenson is off on the risks of febrile seizures from the vaccines and neglects to mention the risk of febrile seizures from natural infections.
That tracks.
“Lying is such an ugly word.”
Alex Berenson
Are folks ready to stop listening to him yet?
More on Vaccines and Febrile Seizures
Why Does Alex Berenson Keep Pushing Anti-Vaccine Propaganda?
URGENT: The CDC is misleading parents about the risk of febrile seizures from vaccines https://alexberenson.substack.com/p/urgent-the-cdc-is-misleading-parents
MMR vaccination and febrile seizures: evaluation of susceptible subgroups and long-term prognosis
Measles-mumps-rubella-varicella combination vaccine and the risk of febrile seizures
The Pandemic’s Wrongest Man ← Alex Berenson
Correcting Berenson’s optimally wrong take on vaccination and hospitalization risk from JAMA study