Archive · 24 Jan 2026
Study Finds No Link Between Childhood Vaccines And Epilepsy Risk
A new study found that regular childhood vaccines do not increase the risk of epilepsy in young children.
The researchers looked at over 22,000 children and found no link between getting vaccines and developing epilepsy.
They also checked if the aluminum in vaccines could be a problem, but it wasn't.
Most of the kids in the study were boys between 1 and 2 years old.
The study also found that babies born early or with certain health conditions are more likely to have epilepsy.
The researchers said this study should help parents feel more confident about vaccinating their children.
However, they did find a small, not very strong, possible link in very young babies who got a certain type of vaccine, but more research is needed on that.
A new study found no link between routine childhood vaccines and an increased risk of epilepsy in children under 4 years old.
The study, led by the CDC, examined over 22,000 children and found no association between vaccine aluminum exposure and epilepsy.
Most participants were boys (54%) between the ages of 1 year and 23 months (69%).
Children with pre-existing risk factors, such as premature birth or underlying health conditions, had higher odds of developing epilepsy.
Very young infants (1-2 months) who received vaccines containing the adjuvant combination AH/AP had about twice the odds of an epilepsy diagnosis, but this finding was not statistically significant.
- Who
- Researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Marshfield Clinic Research Institute
- What
- A study examining the link between childhood vaccines and epilepsy risk
- When
- The study was published in The Journal of Pediatrics
- Where
- The study was conducted in the US
- Why
- To assess the safety of childhood vaccines and address concerns about their potential link to epilepsy
- Study Participants
- 2,089 children with epilepsy and 20,139 without
- Age Range
- 1 year to less than 4 years
- Vaccine Adjuvants Studied
- Aluminum salts (AH, AP, AH/AP, aluminum potassium sulfate)
- Key Finding
- No increased risk of epilepsy from vaccines or aluminum exposure
- Subgroup Finding
- Very young infants (1-2 months) with AH/AP vaccines had slightly higher odds of epilepsy, but not statistically significant
- Study Publication
- The Journal of Pediatrics
- Lead Researcher
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
