Less diabetes 1 after vaccination against the disease

It was no coincidence that the researchers had examined this link.

In recent years, several studies have suggested that viruses can be linked to type 1 diabetes.

This variant of diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system destroys the cells that produce insulin. Some genes are predisposed to the disease, but not all carriers of these genes contract diabetes. The disease is probably caused by various environmental factors.

Such a factor can be a virus.

Introduction of the rotavirus vaccine

Previous studies involving animals and humans have linked the virus to diabetes 1. Rotavirus is one of the viruses put in the spotlight, which causes serious illness in children.

In 2007, a new rotavirus vaccine was introduced in Australia's childhood immunization program. If rotavirus can actually trigger diabetes 1, should we see a decrease in the number of new cases after the introduction of the vaccine?

That's precisely what Kirsten P. Perrett of the University of Melbourne and her colleagues have examined.

Fewer cases of diabetes

Researchers examined national data on new cases of diabetes 1 among children aged zero to 14 between 2000 and 2015.

And absolutely right. After the introduction of the vaccine, the number of new cases of diabetes decreased by 14%. But only in the group of zero to four years. In the older groups – who were probably not vaccinated – the numbers were unchanged.

This indicates that rotavirus may actually be one of the causes of diabetes 1 and that the vaccine may therefore have the lucky side effect of preventing the disease.

But there are still many reservations to make.

It is too early to conclude that the vaccine has actually reduced the number of cases of diabetes, writes Jennifer Abbasi in an update from JAMA.

Do not agree with Finnish research

For example, we can not exclude that other changes during this period have an impact on the risk of getting diabetes. It is also necessary to follow the children for several years to see if they are still developing diabetes.

The result does not correspond to a previous study in Finland. The introduction of rotavaxine did not have a similar effect.

The difference between the Australian and Finnish results may be due to variations in genes and environmental factors in different countries, but this may also mean that the vaccine has no preventive effect on diabetes 1.

Australian researchers are already conducting several surveys to find safer answers.

If it turns out that the vaccine can actually prevent diabetes, this can impact both the prevention of autoimmune disease and our ability to understand the mechanisms of diabetes 1.

references:

Kirsten P. Perrett et al., Rotavirus Immunization Association at the incidence of type 1 diabetes in children, Jama Pediatrics, January 2019. Abstract.

Jennifer Abbasi, After rotavirus vaccine, the incidence rate of type 1 diabetes in Australia, JAMA. Summary.