Primary Ovarian Insufficiency Risk Not Associated with Pediatric Vaccinations

A new study reported that adolescent vaccinations with human papillomavirus (HPV), tetanus-diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap), inactivated influenza, and meningococcal conjugate (MenACWY) vaccines were not associated with an increased risk of primary ovarian insufficiency (POI). 

This population-based, retrospective cohort study, of 199,078 female patients, reported POI incidence was low in 11 to 14-year-olds (0.87 per 1 000 000 person-months) and slightly increased with age. 

This study was published by the American Academy of Pediatrics.   

Primary Ovarian Insufficiency is a condition in which a woman’s ovaries shut down before the age of 40. 

POI has been reported in young women early in life, as early as during their teenage years, when it is a particularly devastating condition. 

But, it becomes more common in women between the ages of 35-40. 

As for the causes of this POI, about 90 percent remain unknown. 

Although known causes of some cases include chromosomal abnormalities, chemotherapy or radiation therapy, and Fragile X syndrome. 

POI is different from premature menopause. 

With premature menopause, your periods stop before age 40. You can no longer get pregnant. 

With POI, some women still have occasional periods. They may even get pregnant. 

Certain factors can raise a woman's risk of POI:

• Family history. Women who have a mother or sister with POI are more likely to have it.
• Genes. Some changes to genes and genetic conditions put women at higher risk for POI. For example, women Fragile X syndrome or Turner syndrome are at higher risk.
• Certain diseases, such as autoimmune diseases and viral infections.
• Cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. 

Previously, during August 2018, a Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research study found no elevated POI risk for women who were vaccinated. 

"If POI is triggered by the HPV vaccine or another recommended adolescent vaccine, we would have expected to see higher incidence in the younger women who were most likely to be vaccinated," said Allison Naleway, Ph.D., in a press release.