Have you ever heard of HSP?
Children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) typically have a purplish rash (purpura), joint pain and swelling (arthritis), and severe stomach pains. They can also have blood in their urine (hematuria).
While those can all be very scary symptoms, fortunately, they typically go away without any treatment.
What Causes HSP?
HSP, also known as IgA Vasculitis, is an autoimmune reaction.
“Henoch-Schönlein purpura is caused by an abnormal immune system response in which the body’s immune system attacks the body’s own cells and organs.”
What is Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP)?
We don’t know why some kids have this abnormal immune reaction.
We do know that it most commonly occurs after a viral upper respiratory tract infection, although other infections, including chickenpox, measles, and hepatitis, can also trigger HSP.
Do Vaccines Cause HSP?
HSP has been associated with almost anything, from medications and foods, to insect bites and exposure to cold weather, so it is not surprising that some folks would think that vaccines could be a trigger too.
There are even some case reports of children developing HSP after receiving a vaccine. It is important to remember that a case report is basically a gloried anecdote though. It is not the kind of high quality evidence you really want if you are trying to make a case trying to prove causality.
One small study did suggest an increased risk following the MMR vaccine, but it only looked at hospitalized children with HSP. And of 288 hospitalized children with HSP, only eight had received a recent vaccine.
A more robust study, Vaccination and Risk of Childhood IgA Vasculitis, recently found that common childhood vaccines did not significantly increase the risk of HSP.
What to Know About Vaccines and HSP
Since some vaccine-preventable diseases can cause Henoch-Schönlein purpura, there is no evidence that vaccines can cause HSP beyond isolated case reports, and the most recent evidence shows that vaccines do not cause HSP, parents should vaccinate their kids, even if they have had a previous episode of HSP.
More on Vaccines and HSP
- What is Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP)?
- Henoch–Schönlein purpura DermNet
- IgA Vasculitis (Henoch-Schönlein Purpura)
- Henoch-Schonlein purpura
- Study – Vaccination and Risk of Childhood IgA Vasculitis
- Henoch-Schönlein Purpura and Influenza Vaccine
- Henoch-Schonlein purpura following a meningococcal vaccine.
- The hierarchy of evidence: Is the study’s design robust?
- Study – Henoch-Schönlein purpura and drug and vaccine use in childhood: a case-control study
- Study – Henoch-Schönlein purpura and meningococcal B vaccination.
- Mycoplasma pneumoniae as a trigger for Henoch-Schönlein purpura in children.