The Claim:
A new video makes the old claim that vaccines, particularly the DPT vaccine, are responsible for causing SIDS, and that health authorities have covered up this connection for over a century.
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. Several previous studies show no correlation between vaccines and SIDS. One meta-analysis even suggests that vaccines halve the risk of SIDS. And when childhood vaccination uptake decreased during the early years of the pandemic, there was no subsequent decrease in SIDS rates.
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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