The Claim in Context
While it’s natural for parents to be concerned about their baby and fearful of sudden infant death, claims about a link to vaccines are false. Extensive research and scientific review have found no evidence that vaccines cause sudden infant death. Babies receive many vaccines when they are 2 to 4 months old; this is also a peak age for sudden infant death. Just because the timeframes are similar does not mean vaccines are related.
Key Facts
- Every year in the United States, more than 3,600 babies die suddenly and unexpectedly while they're sleeping.
- SIDS was identified as a diagnosis in the late 1960s, and that was the predominant term used for many years. It stands for sudden infant death syndrome, meaning the sudden and unexpected death of an apparently healthy baby younger than 12 months.
- SIDS is caused by something physiological, an abnormality in the anatomy such as a brain stem abnormality that prevents a baby from being able to wake up.
- In the last 15-20 years, as our scientific understanding improved, medical experts realized a proportion of sudden deaths were caused by suffocation vs. an unknown cause. Therefore, the term was expanded to SUID.
- Sudden Unexpected Infant Death, or SUID, is an umbrella term that covers accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed, SIDS, and other deaths from unknown causes.
- Numerous large-scale studies and research reviews, conducted over many years, have confirmed that vaccines do not cause SIDS.
- The incidence of SIDS is the same in children who do and do not receive vaccines, further supporting the fact that SIDS is not caused by vaccines.
- Studies have shown that not only do vaccines not cause SIDS, they also may decrease the risk by 50%.
- According to the CDC, SIDS deaths in the U.S. have dropped by more than 50% since the early 1990s, during the same timeframe that infant immunization coverage has improved.
- To address suffocation and strangulation, the American Academy of Pediatrics introduced safe sleep recommendations in the early 1990s and updated them in 2022. Safe sleep recommendations include placing infants to sleep on their back in a crib with a firm, flat surface and no pillows, blankets or toys — just the baby. They also recommend placing the crib or bassinet right next to the parent’s bed.
- Fewer than 1% of babies who die suddenly and unexpectedly have no environmental risk factors. Many sudden infant deaths probably would not happen if all these babies were placed in a safe sleep environment.
Evidence Snapshot
Many large-scale studies and comprehensive reviews have confirmed that vaccines do not cause SIDS. For instance, a 2007 study found that vaccines do not cause SIDS, and in fact may reduce the risk.
Why It Matters
Parents are understandably concerned about sudden infant death and the things that may cause it. But focusing on vaccination — which research has repeatedly shown is not linked to SIDS — distracts parents from the practices that really can reduce their baby’s risk and improve their health. Following Safe Sleep guidelines reduces the risk factors for SUID and SIDS. And getting your child vaccinated prevents serious childhood illnesses, like measles and pertussis, that are currently making a comeback.
Experts Say:
“Sudden infant death is a terrible tragedy for families, and it’s normal for parents to worry about SIDS and SUID. But parents can rest assured that vaccines do not cause sudden infant death. Many years of research have found no causal link. Following Safe Sleep guidelines and vaccinating your child against childhood diseases is the best way to protect your young baby from dying.”
— Dr. Rachel Moon, Chair of the Subcommittee on Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), part of the Council on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention, as well as author of AAP policies on safe infant sleep recommendations.
Resources for Further Information
Last Updated
06/05/2025
Source
American Academy of Pediatrics