Fact check: Georgia schools' sudden cardiac arrest form is from 2019, predates COVID-19 vaccines

Kate S. Petersen, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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The claim: Georgia 'sudden cardiac arrest' form is new and connected to COVID-19 vaccine

A Facebook post shows a form distributed by the Georgia High School Association that describes the early warning signs of "sudden cardiac arrest" and explains what should happen if one occurs.

"My child was sent home with this form today from school," the Jan. 17 post (direct link, archive link) is captioned. "Never seen this form before in my life. This is brand new. For those of you who are still asleep and have not made the connection. Maybe this will wake you up."

The user also commented, "wouldn’t have been simpler to just have one question on the form that says 'has your child receive the Covid vac (sic)?' Yes or no. That’s really all they need to know. Instead of dancing around the giant elephant in the room."

The post was shared more than 100 times in less than a month.

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Our rating: False

The form is not "brand new," nor is it connected to the vaccine. The Georgia High School Association has issued the form since 2019 before the COVID-19 vaccine was available.

Georgia sudden cardiac arrest mandated by 2019 legislation

The form is not new, Georgia High School Association spokesperson, Steve Figueroa, told USA TODAY.

"This form was first used prior to the 2019-20 school year when Senate Bill 60 became law in Georgia," he said in an email.

The law was passed in 2019 after two teenage athletes died from cardiac arrest, one in 2013 and the other in 2017.

The 2019-2020 Georgia High School Association bylaws describe the form and how it must be distributed per state law. A link to a 2019 version of the form is also available online.

Fact check: Videos of people collapsing have no connection to COVID-19 vaccines

The COVID-19 vaccine did not become available until late 2020, well after the form had been mandated.

USA TODAY has also debunked claims that wrongly tied the COVID-19 vaccine to an Air Force cadet's death and football player Damar Hamlin's recent cardiac arrest.

USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook user who shared the post for comment.

Associated Press and PolitiFact also debunked the claim.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Georgia cardiac arrest form predates COVID-19 vaccines