Alexis Lorenzo, a 23-year-old Florida woman, was temporarily blinded and severely bruised after she was required to receive multiple vaccinations before undergoing a blood transfusion for a rare autoimmune disorder. Lorenze, diagnosed in January with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), traveled to California earlier this month to receive a transfusion to treat the condition, which affects approximately one in a million people.
PNH is a rare disorder in which the immune system attacks and destroys red blood cells, causing anemia, fatigue, and other complications. Upon arriving at UCI Medical Center in California, Lorenze says doctors informed him that he would need to receive tetanus, pneumonia and meningitis vaccines before the transfusion could be performed.
Lorenze reported that just 10 minutes after receiving all three vaccines simultaneously, he began experiencing alarming symptoms. His vision went dark, his jaw clenched, and he began to vomit. His body became swollen and bruised in the following hours, causing widespread concern about his condition.
Medical experts have raised concerns about the risks of giving multiple vaccines at once, especially to patients with autoimmune diseases such as PNH. These patients may experience heightened immune responses, which can lead to serious complications, such as cytokine storms, where the body’s immune system attacks its own healthy tissues and organs.
This reaction can be life-threatening and cause irreversible damage. “While it is normally safe for most people to receive these vaccines together, in their case, the immune response could have been excessive and led to complications,” said Dr. Raj Dasgupta, chief medical advisor of Fortune recommends healthin an interview with daily mail.
He added: “To avoid overloading your system, it would be reasonable to space out vaccinations and closely monitor any worsening symptoms.” Although some doctors believe that the vaccines were not the direct cause of Lorenze’s severe reaction, they suggested that his unstable PNH condition could have contributed. The vaccines could have caused an outbreak or allergic reaction.
“PNH can exacerbate on its own and we need to consider whether the disease itself is behind its severe reaction,” Dr. Dasgupta explained. “Both factors (your PNH and vaccines) need to be carefully weighed when looking at what’s going on.”
The case has sparked debate about the need for vaccines in Lorenze’s situation. Meningitis and pneumonia vaccines are often recommended for high-risk groups, particularly those receiving immunotherapy or other treatments that can weaken the immune system. However, several experts have questioned whether vaccines were really necessary before transfusion.
Lorenze, who shared his story through viral TikTok videos, revealed that he had not received any vaccinations since childhood. His family claims that the hospital insisted that vaccines were mandatory for transfusion, but some medical professionals argue that this is not a typical requirement. As Lorenzo continues to suffer pain and swelling, her family is seeking to transfer her to a private hospital in Los Angeles for further treatment.