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Do vaccines cause SIDS?

The Claim:

Because SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is a diagnosis given when no other explanation can be found for a baby’s untimely death, parents often wonder if vaccination could be the cause. While Candace Owens worked to promote that idea this year, a study hinted at a possible non-vaccine cause.

The Facts:

As Jonathon Swift once wrote: “Falsehood flies, and the Truth comes limping after it.” Sadly, SIDS rates increased slightly in 2020, as newly published data shows.

The claims about 2020 are just another in a long list of non-existent correlations. A number of previous studies show no correlation between vaccines and SIDS. One meta-analysis even suggests that vaccines halve the risk of SIDS.

Public health initiatives such as back-to-sleep campaigns and vaccination can save lives.

Disclaimer: Science is always evolving and our understanding of these topics may have evolved too since this was originally posted. Be sure to check out our most recent posts and browse the latest Just the Facts Topics for the latest.

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