The family of another infant who died in her sleep after receiving routine vaccines has won a settlement from the U.S. government’s vaccine court, which determined the vaccines caused the infant to develop encephalitis.

The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) awarded Matthew Rodela and Casandra Hogan $310,000 for the death of their 14-month-old daughter, Violet Skye Rodela.

Violet died on March 11, 2015, 19 days after receiving the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine, along with several other routine childhood immunizations.

The award included a $250,000 standard death benefit and $60,000 for pain and suffering. The court granted the settlement, which also covered the family’s legal fees, in September 2024. However, technical issues with a California probate court caused a delay in finalizing the financial award.

The vaccine court’s decision grants Violet’s parents legal recognition that their daughter suffered an adverse event from the MMR vaccine listed on the official Vaccine Injury Table. The table lists vaccine reactions presumed to be caused by a vaccine, based on specific medical and timing criteria.

Infant deaths following vaccinations are often classified as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), or for toddlers 12-18 months old, sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC). According to vaccine court researcher Wayne Rohde, author of two books on the VICP, only about 50 infant death cases have been compensated since the program was established in 1986.

The ruling in Violet’s death, along with another award this year issued to the family of Anna Sims, who died suddenly after receiving routine vaccines, could set an important precedent for future infant cases in the VICP, according to a working group of researchers and advocates studying vaccine-induced infant death. The group published an analysis of both cases.

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