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Does vaccination cause SIDS? |
No evidence links SIDS to vaccination, despite two generations of vaccination and studies of thousands of children worldwide.
SIDS is short for 'Sudden Infant Death Syndrome' and used to be called 'cot death'. It means the sudden, unexpected death of a baby from no known cause. SIDS is the most common cause of death in babies between one month and one year of age. Most babies who die of SIDS are under six months. More babies die of SIDS in winter than in summer. It is still not clear what causes SIDS. Some factors are thought to work together to reduce the risk of SIDS, but they may or may not help prevent any one SIDS death. (http://www.sidsaustralia.org.au/safesleep/faq.htm#whatsids)
The Japanese experience
Japan ceased compensation payments for SIDS when it moved the age for first vaccination to 24 months but the rate of SIDS remained the same at 1.2 per 1,000 births. The death rate from vaccine-preventable illness rose and Japan has since reintroduced vaccination at a younger age.
The Australian experience
The rate of SIDS in Australia was two per 1,000 until 1988 when parents were advised to put their babies to sleep on their backs. Since then the rate has fallen to 0.5 per 1,000, yet our vaccination rates improved during this time.
Two Australian studies of SIDS infants found more than half were either under-vaccinated, or not vaccinated at all.
For further information and references see Why vaccinate? article
Why Vaccinate?
Reasons Why People Choose Not to Vaccinate
An afternoon with immunisation expert, Professor Margaret Burgess
MMR vaccine, inflammatory bowel disease and autism
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