An anti-vaccine social media account claims that medical professionals falsely classify deaths caused by routine vaccines as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The account shared the story of a child who allegedly died within hours of receiving several vaccinations.
The persistence of this misinformation increases its risk. Debunking messaging may explain that there is no link between vaccines and SIDS. The condition’s exact cause is unknown, but numerous studies have shown that SIDS occurs at the same rate in vaccinated and unvaccinated children and has not increased with higher vaccination rates. Anti-vaccine groups have attempted for decades to falsely link various childhood vaccines to sudden infant death syndrome, despite evidence conclusively showing no link between the condition and any vaccine.
