Update: the medical examiner has ruled that Senator José Peralta, of Queens, passed away from natural causes, complications of acute promyelocytic leukemia.
Anti-vaccine folks are heavily pushing the idea that José Peralta, a New York State Senator, died as the result of getting a flu shot.

While Senator Peralta did die several days after getting a flu shot, it appears that he had already been sick for several weeks. And no, that doesn’t mean that the flu shot made him even sicker.
“The senator would be disappointed to find that conspiracy theorists are using his death to forward their agenda by misrepresenting the facts.”
Chris Sosa on No Evidence New York Legislator Died from Flu Shot
New York State Sen. José Peralta had reportedly just gotten his flu shot at a public event, where he was encouraging others in his community to get protected with free flu shots.

And while he did die about four days later, there is absolutely no reason to think that his getting a flu shot was connected to his death.

Of course, this is the method of operation of the modern anti-vaccine movement. They make folks think that anything and everything is a vaccine injury and they actually go out of their way to exploit people who have died.

There is no evidence that New York State Senator Jose Peralta died from getting a flu shot.
In fact, the medical examiner has ruled that he had acute promyelocytic leukemia when he died.
Don’t let anti-vaccine folks dishonor his legacy by pushing false stories about flu shots – scaring people away from getting vaccinated and protected.
Vaccines are safe, effective, and necessary.
More on Flu Shot Propaganda
- New York State Senator Jose Peralta died of leukemia, medical examiner rules
- NY state senator’s death attributed to undiagnosed leukemia
- Sen. José Peralta definitely did not die because of the flu vaccine
- Acute promyelocytic leukemia
- FACT CHECK – No Evidence New York Legislator Died from Flu Shot
- José Peralta, First Dominican-American Elected to New York State Senate, Dies at 47
- State Sen. Jose Peralta Remembered as a Family Man, Immigrants’ Advocate at Funeral Service
- Flags lowered in tribute to NY state Sen. Jose Peralta after unexpected death
- Properly evaluating vaccine mortality – let’s not abuse VAERS
- Study – Deaths following vaccination: What does the evidence show?
- Study – Deaths Reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, United States, 1997-2013.
- Dr. Anthony Fauci: Risks From Vaccines Are “Almost Nonmeasurable”
- AAP – Unvaccinated Children Accounted for Majority of Pediatric Flu Deaths from 2010-2014
Updated January 16, 2019
“X had a flu vaccination and was dead within a month”
Given that flu vaccine coverage is about 40%, and that vaccines are given around the 12 week flu season (!), there is a 40% probability of correctly being able to say about ANY fatality, “X had a flu vaccine and within 12 weeks they were dead”.
Even if they were shot, run over or drowned, you will STILL have a 40% probability of being right about “being dead within 12 weeks of vaccination”.
If (when) coverage is 100% presumably we will have headlines from anti vaxxers during flu season “every single person that died during flu season had recently been vaccinated” !
hmmm. there’s no evidence, but it is completely plausible that the vaccine stimulated his immune system ( that’s what vaccines do) while he was already sick and therefore sent his compromised immune system into over drive and everything went to hell in a handbasket. One must not discard the completely valid assumption that the vaccine was indeed a contributing factor in his untimely death. poor man. I had sepsis 2 years ago and I survived but I am short of breath and have high heart rate quite often as a left over side effect.
If it so safe how come the vaccine manufacturers are exempt from liability, and way do the tax payers have to pay for the injured people.
How much are you paying to google to be the first site to come up about vaccines? Nothing on this site is true, but unfortunately none of that matters because people don’t put any critical thought into anything anymore. Anyone who can read this article and not see through your nonsensical proclamations is choosing to not use any critical thought, and will consequently believe anything (Denis is a case in point). Answer me this, Mr. Vaccines-are-the-new-vitamin: What happens when people fighting off illness get vaccinated? This may come as a surprise to you, but sometimes they die. If you don’t understand how that could possibly happen then you need to shut this site down and learn a little about vaccines. This site is pure propaganda.
Not healthy – Senator Peralta succumbed to complications of acute promyelocytic leukemia.