Senator demands answers after journal removes study linking vaccines to SIDS

• Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) is demanding Toxicology Reports and Elsevier release records about the removal of a peer-reviewed study showing temporal clustering of SIDS reports after vaccination.
• The 2021 study by Neil Z. Miller analyzed 2,605 infant deaths in VAERS from 1990-2019, finding 75% of SIDS reports occurred within seven days of vaccination.
• A 2025 study in the International Journal of Medical Sciences identified underdeveloped liver enzyme pathways in some infants as a possible biological mechanism linking vaccines to SIDS.
• The journal removed the paper citing “serious methodological flaws,” but Miller said the journal never specified what those flaws were.
• Sen. Ron Johnson and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have both demanded transparency about the removal process.

The SIDS-vaccine question: Why a retracted study matters

In June 2021, Toxicology Reports published a peer-reviewed analysis of 2,605 infant deaths reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System between 1990 and 2019. The study found that 75% of sudden infant death syndrome reports occurred within seven days of vaccination, with a peak on day two. Nearly four years later, in April 2026, the journal removed the paper, citing “serious methodological flaws.” Now, Sen. Ron Johnson and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are demanding answers about why the study disappeared—and what it means for parents seeking transparency about infant vaccine safety.

The study that wouldn’t stay quiet

Neil Z. Miller’s 2021 analysis in Toxicology Reports examined 2,605 infant deaths reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. The peer-reviewed paper found that 75% of SIDS reports occurred within seven days of vaccination, with the highest number on day two. Miller explicitly stated the paper “does not prove an association between infant vaccines and sudden infant deaths” but called for further investigation into “unusual patterns and safety signals highly suggestive of a causal relationship.”

The journal removed the paper April 9, 2026, citing “serious methodological flaws” and “potential implications for medical practice.” Miller said the journal never specified what those flaws were, despite repeated requests.

Why this matters now

The removal comes amid growing scrutiny of how scientific journals handle controversial vaccine research. Sen. Johnson’s June 29 letter demands Toxicology Reports and its parent company Elsevier release all records related to the decision to remove the paper. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also wrote to the journal June 11 seeking clarification.

The controversy echoes historical patterns. In 1968, during the Hong Kong flu outbreak, children received insufficiently tested penicillin and streptococcal vaccines, leaving many deaf. The incident demonstrated how shortcuts taken in pursuit of profit or vaccine availability can cause lasting harm.

The biological mechanism

A 2025 study in the International Journal of Medical Sciences identified a possible biological explanation for the link between vaccines and SIDS. Researchers found that underdeveloped liver enzyme pathways in some infants may make it harder for them to process toxic ingredients in vaccines.

Cytochrome P450 enzymes, crucial for metabolizing drugs, are not fully developed at birth. Some infants inherit genetic variations that further limit their capacity to eliminate toxins. The study authors argued that cumulative exposure from multiple vaccines in early infancy can exceed safe thresholds, particularly in vulnerable infants.

A pattern of suppression

The removal of Miller’s paper follows a pattern. In 2024, Cureus retracted a paper on COVID-19 vaccine harms that used VAERS data. In 2025, Taylor & Francis investigated a paper claiming DNA contamination in COVID-19 vaccines based on VAERS data.

Sen. Johnson’s letter cited a grieving mother who lost her child to SIDS. She said every parent at her SIDS support group brought up vaccines. “We were all asking our SIDS support group leader, you know, is there a connection? Just seems like all of us feel like vaccines are involved,” Johnson quoted the mother as saying.

The call for transparency

Miller said the journal never specified what the alleged methodological flaws were. He had already addressed reporting bias as a limitation in the paper’s “Strengths and Limitations” section when it was first published.

Brian Hooker, Ph.D., Children’s Health Defense chief scientific officer, called Johnson’s letter “extremely encouraging and timely” given the lack of transparency surrounding the removal. Hooker noted that Sage Journals is also investigating a 2020 article he co-authored with Miller comparing health outcomes between vaccinated and unvaccinated children.

The unanswered questions

The removal of Miller’s paper raises fundamental questions about scientific integrity and transparency. Sen. Johnson’s demand for records and HHS Secretary Kennedy’s inquiry signal that these questions will not go away quietly. As Miller said, “No one has engaged with the data. They simply made the paper disappear. That should concern every parent, every researcher and anyone who believes science advances through open inquiry rather than institutional gatekeeping.” The 2025 study on liver enzyme pathways offers a potential biological mechanism that warrants further investigation. Until the scientific community addresses these concerns transparently, the debate over vaccine safety and SIDS will continue.

Sources for this article include:

ChildrensHealthDefense.org

RetractionWatch.com

ChildrensHealthDefense.org