[Studies on the possible association between severe neurological syndromes and compulsory vaccination in Milano]

From June 1978 throughout February 1979, 66 children with a mean age of 13 months were admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit in Naples (Santobono Hospital) after a rapid onset of coma or deep stupor of unknown ethiology. The "mystery disease" ("il male oscuro") as somebody in Naples has defined this syndrome, was suspected to be associated with tetanus and diphtheria immunization. Epidemiological investigations and an international symposium of experts agreed not to consider the cases due to immunization. Some of these deaths were related with with Respiratory Syncitial Virus (RSV), evidence which is favored by the poor sanitary situation, evident in many sections of Naples. Although an ad hoc Committee appointed by the Italian Ministry of Health excluded any correlation with immunization, the Ministry of Health invited some Italian groups to carry epidemiological retrospective studies in some Regions of the Country. To obtain comparable results a special protocol was prepared. Two retrospective case-control studies, performed in Genoa and Florence, did not show any association between immunization with anti-diphtheria-tetanus and even anti-poliomyelitis vaccine and severe neurological illness. A retrospective study, performed by us at the Institute of Hygiene of the University of Milan for the years 1983, 1984 and 1985, has included not only the 208 admittances to the only pediatric intensive care unit of Milan (S. Carlo Hospital) but also the other intensive care units of Milan where, sometimes, children are accepted, especially if they were previously admitted to the pediatric wards of the same hospitals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)