SUMMARY In 1985 twin boys simultaneously succumbed to sudden unexpected deaths two to three hours after vaccination with diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine (DTP). This occurrence again raises the question of whether an association of sudden infant death (SID) with vaccination is other than temporal. Taking the incidence of SID in conjunction with rates of infant vaccination in the United Kingdom, nine infants would be expected to die, each year by chance alone, suddenly within 24 hours of (and within each 24 hour period succeeding) vaccination with DTP. Twins are at a greater risk of SID than single born infants and occasionally are found dead together. A number of studies into DTP vaccination as a risk factor in SID have shown that SID is less common in vaccinated than in unvaccinated infants.
Sudden infant death (SID) is a term used for thoseunexpected sudden deaths of infants that cannot be adequately explained and is often characterised by the baby being found dead in its cot. It has a characteristic age distribution, occurring chiefly in infants less than 1 year old and peaking in those aged 2-3 months. Theories abound about the possible causes, and vaccination has been put forward as one of these, chiefly because of occasional temporal association. The simultaneous deaths of 5 month old twin boys within three hours of vaccination with adsorbed diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine (DTP) again raises the question of association with vaccination.