'Died suddenly' posts twist tragedies to push vaccine lies
A growing online conspiracy theory is using the tagline “died suddenly” to baselessly claim that COVID-19 vaccines are killing people.
A photo of Eric Cruz as a 5-year-old pre-schooler rests on a table at the home of his mother, Dolores, on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023, in San Gabriel, Calif. Dolores Cruz published an essay in 2022 about grieving for her son, Eric, who died in a car crash in 2017. "Died Suddenly" used a screenshot of the headline in the film, portraying his death as vaccine related. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Dolores Cruz poses next to a photo of her son, Eric Cruz, on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023, at her home in San Gabriel, Calif. Cruz published an essay in 2022 about grieving for her son, who died in a car crash in 2017. "Died Suddenly" used a screenshot of the headline in the film, portraying his death as vaccine related. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Dolores Cruz poses next to a painting of her youngest son, Eric Cruz, on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023, at her home in San Gabriel, Calif. Cruz published an essay in 2022 about grieving for her son, who died in a car crash in 2017. "Died Suddenly" used a screenshot of the headline in the film, portraying his death as vaccine related. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Dolores Cruz shows a photograph of her youngest son, Eric Cruz, on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023, at her home in San Gabriel, Calif. Cruz published an essay in 2022 about grieving for her son, who died in a car crash in 2017. "Died Suddenly" used a screenshot of the headline in the film, portraying his death as vaccine related. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Dolores Cruz looks at a college of pictures of her youngest son, Eric Cruz, and some of his bandmates on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023, at her home in San Gabriel, Calif. Cruz published an essay in 2022 about grieving for her son, who died in a car crash in 2017. "Died Suddenly" used a screenshot of the headline in the film, portraying his death as vaccine related. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Andrew Weaver, from left, Caitlin Weaver and Jessica Day-Weaver hold a ceramic hand print of daughter, Anastasia, at their home, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2022, in Boardman, Ohio. (AP Photo/Nick Cammett)
Jessica Day-Weaver, right, and Caitlin Weaver hold a ceramic hand print of daughter, Anastasia, at their home Thursday, Feb. 2, 2022, in Boardman, Ohio. (AP Photo/Nick Cammett)
Jessica Day-Weaver right, and Caitlin Weaver hold up a ceramic hand print of daughter, Anastasia, at their home, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2022, in Boardman, Ohio.(AP Photo/Nick Cammett)
Jessica Day-Weaver holds a ceramic hand print of her daughter, Anastasia, at her home, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2022, in Boardman, Ohio. (AP Photo/Nick Cammett)
Jessica Day-Weaver poses next to a picture collage made for her daughter, Anastasia, at her home, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2022, in Boardman, Ohio. (AP Photo/Nick Cammett)
This photo provided by Evergreen Creative Company of Dothan, Ala., is the senior photo of Tyler Erickson, a 17-year-old from Bonifay, Fla., who died unexpectedly in September 2022. Anti-vaccine activists have falsely suggested that Erickson’s death was related to the COVID-19 vaccine, even though he did not receive that immunization. (Christen Bane/Evergreen Creative Company via AP)
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