Letter

DTP in low income countries: improved child survival or survival bias?

BMJ 2005; 330 doi: 10.1136/bmj.330.7495.845-a (Published 7 April 2005)
Cite this as: BMJ 2005;330:845.2

Access to the full text of this article requires a subscription or payment. Please log in or subscribe below.

  1. Henrik Jensen, statistician (HJN@ssi.dk),
  2. Christine S Benn, senior researcher,
  3. Peter Aaby, professor
  1. Bandim Health Project, Danish Epidemiology Science Centre, Statens Serum Institut, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark

    EDITOR—We proposed that BCG and measles vaccine have non-specific beneficial effects, whereas diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccination might have no beneficial effect.1 In response, the World Health Organization commissioned several studies.2–4 A WHO expert task force found substantial evidence against a deleterious effect of DTP; all studies showed DTP to be associated with reduced mortality. A negative DTP effect was found only in Guinea-Bissau, and this was presumed to be due to a country specific issue or a peculiarity of the data.5

    In our survival analysis, vaccination status was a …

    Access to the full text of this article requires a subscription or payment

    Subscribe

    Article access

    Article access for 1 day

    Purchase this article for £20 $30 €32*

    The PDF version can be downloaded as your personal record

    * Prices do not include VAT

    Rapid responses

    THIS WEEK'S POLL

    Read related article

    See previous polls

    BMJ most popular