Vaccines and sudden infant death: An analysis of the VAERS database 1990–2019 and review of the medical literature

Many parents don't realize that when they purchase vaccines, the cost is taxed and the money (75 cents per vaccine) goes into a trust fund managed by the Department of the Treasury to compensate them if and when those vaccines seriously injure or kill their babies. As of May 1, 2021, more than $4.5 billion was granted for thousands of injuries and deaths associated with vaccines. Numerous cases are still pending. Awards were issued for permanent injuries such as learning disabilities, seizure disorders, mental retardation, paralysis, and numerous deaths, including many that were initially misclassified as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) [4].

Since vaccine-related deaths are officially recognized by the federal government through the VICP but there are no official classifications for vaccine-related deaths in the ICD, an important question must be asked: What options are available to medical examiners for recording vaccine-related deaths?

1.2. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Prior to the introduction of organized vaccination programs, "crib death" was so rare that it was not mentioned in infant mortality statistics. In the United States, national immunization campaigns were expanded in the 1960s when several new vaccines were introduced and promoted. For the first time in history, most U.S. infants were required to receive several doses of DPT (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus), polio, and measles vaccines. (The measles vaccine was administered at 9 months of age from 1963 to 1965 [5]). Mumps and rubella vaccines were also introduced in the 1960s. By 1969, an alarming epidemic of sudden unexplained infant deaths impelled researchers to create a new medical term—sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) [6]. By 1972, SIDS had become the leading cause of post-neonatal mortality (infant deaths occurring between 28 days and 1 year of life) in the United States [7]. In 1973, the National Center for Health Statistics, operated by the CDC, created a new cause-of-death category to document deaths due to SIDS [8,9].

SIDS is defined as the sudden and unexpected death of an infant which remains unexplained after a thorough investigation, including performance of an autopsy and review of the clinical history [10]. Although there are no specific symptoms associated with SIDS, an autopsy often reveals congestion and edema of the lungs and inflammatory changes in the respiratory system [8,11].

In 1984, Congress held a hearing on vaccine safety. The suspected link between vaccines and sudden infant deaths was addressed. The following excerpt is from a statement made by a distraught grandmother testifying before the Congressional

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