Switzer, William M, Zheng, Haoqiang, Simmons, Graham et al. · PloS one · 2011 · DOI
Researchers tested 8 common vaccines to see if they contained XMRV or related viruses that had been previously linked to ME/CFS. They used sensitive tests including genetic sequencing to look for these viruses. None of the vaccines contained XMRV or the related viruses they were looking for, suggesting vaccines are not a source of these viruses in people.
Early reports linked XMRV to ME/CFS, raising public health concerns about vaccine safety as a potential transmission route. This study directly addresses that concern by definitively testing major vaccines for these viruses, providing reassurance for ME/CFS patients considering vaccination and supporting the growing evidence that XMRV/MLV are not associated with human disease.
This study does not prove that XMRV was never associated with ME/CFS cases, nor does it establish the origin of XMRV in the humans where it was previously reported. It only demonstrates vaccines are unlikely to be a source of XMRV/MLV exposure; it does not address other potential transmission routes or the validity of prior XMRV-ME/CFS associations.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
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