The Claim:
In the 1980s and 1990s, Japan gave babies the measles vaccine separately. Japan also waited until babies were 2 years old to give the measles vaccine and the DTaP vaccine. Some anti-vaccine groups claim this made SIDS disappear in Japan.
The Facts:
In the video, Pierre Kory says that SIDS rates went down because babies started getting some vaccines at an older age.
But the timing does not match. Japan changed the vaccine schedule in 1981, but SIDS rates kept going up until 1998. That year, Japan started a program to teach parents about safer infant sleep and how to lower a baby’s risk of SIDS.
So, the evidence does not show that the vaccine schedule change caused SIDS rates to go down. Also, a worldwide study found that vaccinated children had a lower risk of SIDS than children who were not vaccinated.
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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