Vaccines are not linked to sudden death in any age group

Even though vaccines are among the safest medical products, baseless claims about their safety continue to circulate widely on social media.

One since-deleted April 3 post on Facebook said Sudden Infant Death Syndrome — the unexpected death of a seemingly healthy baby — and sudden death in adults are caused by vaccines. We noticed another post on Twitter that said, "‘Sudden death’ for adults and ‘Sudden Infant Death’ for babies. BOTH ARE DEATH BY VACCINE."

The Facebook post was flagged as part of the platform’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)

Studies and scientific reviews found no association between vaccination and deaths in anyone — adults or children — except in rare cases, according to a 2015 study. More recently, following the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines in late 2020, a 2021 study by the CDC found no increased risk for death among those vaccinated for COVID-19.

And research studies and safety reviews do not show any links between childhood vaccines and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The causes of SIDS are unknown, but many health professionals believe it is associated with a buildup of carbon dioxide in the blood and low levels of oxygen.

"Since immunizations are given to about 90% of children less than 1 year of age, and about 1,600 cases of SIDS occur every year, it would be expected, statistically, that every year about 50 cases of SIDS will occur within 24 hours of receipt of a vaccine," according to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. "However, because the incidence of SIDS is the same in children who do or do not receive vaccines, we know that SIDS is not caused by vaccines."

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There are recommended ways to reduce an infant’s risk of SIDS, such as avoiding smoking during pregnancy, putting infants to sleep on their backs and adapting their sleep environment.

Vaccines are tested in clinical trials prior to public use, and multiple systems are in place to monitor their safety after they are released for public use, according to the CDC. Those include the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), the Vaccine Safety Datalink and the Clinical Immunization Assessment project.

Serious adverse reactions to vaccination are rare, and the benefits of vaccines far outweigh the risks.

A Twitter post says sudden death in adults and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome are caused by vaccines.

Research studies, as well as safety and scientific reviews, have not found any links between childhood vaccines and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or between vaccination and deaths in people of any age — adults or children — except in rare cases.

Vaccines are tested in clinical trials prior to public use, and multiple systems are in place to monitor their safety after they are released for public use. Serious adverse reactions are rare.

We rate this claim False.