NY State Senator Dies of Sepsis After Receiving Flu Vaccine

Eight-year-old Amely Baez of LeFrank City, New York died on February 5, 2018 of “flu-related” symptoms, according to local health authorities. Published reports did not indicate whether the child had received the influenza vaccine. New York State Senator José Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) said Amely’s death was tragic and that it “reminds us of how dangerous the flu outbreak is” and he urged New Yorkers to “protect themselves, and their children, and get vaccinated.” He added, “We need to ensure we do everything possible to combat the spread of this deadly virus as the number of hospitalizations is increasing. The influenza vaccine can be the difference between life and death.” Partly in response to Amely’s death, Sen. Peralta partnered with NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst to sponsor free influenza vaccinations in LeFrank City on November 17, 2018. Some 90 area residents were vaccinated. On November 20, Peralta, 47, developed a fever. The following day, he became “disoriented and had trouble breathing.” He was taken to Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, NY where he died that evening. “We really don’t know what happened,” said Peralta’s wife, Evelyn Peralta. “He just took a turn for the worst.” An article in The New York Times quoted Sen. Peralta’s director of communications, Chris Sosa, as saying, “It was like pulling teeth to get him (Peralta) to talk about not feeling well. He just thought he was having symptoms related to getting the flu shot.”