Age: 16.0
Sex: M
Vaccine: COVID19
Symptoms: Magnetic resonance imaging normal, Seizure
Clinical narrative: Exactly seven days after patient second vaccine, he boarded a 9:10AM flight, with his Dad and sister. Approximately 90 minutes into the flight, as patient watched a movie on his phone (which did not have a photosensitivity warning), he blacked out and doesn't remember anything else until after coming out of a seizure. What others saw, including his father (my husband), was a convulsing 16 year-old (nearly 6' tall and 155 pounds), who was sitting just in front of him, between two strangers. My husband quickly realized what was happening and was totally surprised and struck with some fear, as we have NEVER seen a seizure in our family or in patient before (we have six biological children). The airline called for medical help; a doctor and some other professionals came. My husband had EMT training many years ago, so didn't hold patient body, but did work a few times to keep his head up (patient was seated), so as not to allow the airway to close. Patient sister (age 18) was across the aisle, alone, watching all of the commotion take place, not knowing what to do or how to help, in tears, but handling it with poise and independence. After about 2-3 minutes, the intense convulsing stopped, and his seizure became quieter but still had movement. His eyes were rolled back and he was foaming a bit at the mouth. He was still not responsive. This went on for about 4-5 minutes. Then he stopped. His dad and the doctor asked him basic questions like, "who are you?" "how old are you?" "where are you?" He couldn't answer any other those. Another 3-5 minutes past, and finally he was able to answer "where are you?" with "I'm right here." Slowly, he came back to his "senses" but of course, was very tired and had a horrible headache afterward. The doctor and my husband decided it was best to have the plane divert to another city  to get patient to a hospital as soon as possible. The three of them had to cancel their trip (work trip for my husband, which our 18- and 16-year-old children were accompanying him on for pleasure and travel). The Airlines was awesome about the whole thing. When the plane landed, they quickly escorted the three off the plane (patient walked slowly, then was put in a wheelchair when they got right off the plane). They were then transferred into an Ambulance and emergently sent to the Hospital. After several hours of waiting and testing, and patient not having any more seizure activity, his CT scan, blood tests, and chest x-ray were normal,  so he was discharged with the instruction to get an MRI with and without contrast upon arrival back home, and then to follow up with a Neurologist. He has been home nearly a week now and feels like himself. He has had the MRI, which came back normal (yay!), but we are waiting to see a Neurologist at hospital. The ONLY thing in patient life that had changed for him in the days, weeks, months preceding this super surprising event, was his Covid #2 Pfizer vaccine. That is why we, and our supportive doctor, are suspicious that this may have been the cause. We are a little nervous about whether or not more seizures will take place, or perhaps his body is done dealing with his probably strong reaction to the immunologic/inflammatory variable. Maybe altitude could have played in, along with the vaccine, and been the straws that broke the camel's back of other things maybe brewing? But we don't think so. patient has had NO health issues, other than an appendix out 3 years ago! Thanks for listening. We want this variable to you as a data point.