Do vaccines cause SIDS and other problems?

In a widely-circulated video, former Dr. Paul Thomas claims that vaccines cause more harm than good by leading to sudden infant death, higher death rates in babies, and more health problems like autism, asthma, and learning disabilities in kids.

Vaccines are not linked to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). In fact, studies show that babies who get their shots on time are less likely to die from SIDS. The timing of most infant vaccines happens to match the age when SIDS is most likely to occur, which can make it seem like the two are related—but they are not.

Infant mortality is affected by many factors, including access to quality health care, maternal health, and social conditions like poverty—not by the number of vaccines. The United States has a higher infant mortality rate than some other developed nations, but that’s due to issues like racial health disparities and access to care, not vaccines. In fact, countries with strong vaccination programs tend to have healthier children and fewer deaths from preventable diseases.

Vaccines do not cause autism, learning disabilities, ADHD, or other neurodevelopmental conditions. The idea that vaccines cause autism started with a fraudulent study in 1998, which has been completely discredited and retracted.

Similarly, vaccines do not cause allergies, asthma, or autoimmune conditions. These conditions are more common today for many reasons—including genetics, environmental changes, and better diagnosis—but vaccines are not to blame. On the contrary, vaccines can help prevent infections that might trigger autoimmune responses in some cases. Vaccines keep our immune systems strong and prepared, not overloaded.

In short, the claim that “the more we vaccinate, the sicker our kids are” is completely false. Vaccines have been tested more than almost any other medical product. They are safe, they save lives, and they help kids grow up healthy. As Voices for Vaccines puts it, vaccines give parents the power to protect their children from dangerous diseases—and that’s a power worth trusting.