Vaccination in Children, Febrile Convulsions, and Epilepsy

This article provides a review of the literature addressing the risk of complications of vaccination, including neurological complications. Several vaccines associated with the development of vaccine-induced febrile convulsions (FC), such as adsorbed diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus vaccine and measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, have been shown to be able to provoke FC though they are not its cause. Thus, postponement of vaccination to later ages in children does not reduce the risk of developing FC. International and Russian recommendations for the vaccination of children with epilepsy, West syndrome, and Dravet syndrome are considered separately.