A 23-year-old woman from Florida, Alexis Lorenze, says she has been temporarily blinded and has bruises after being required to get several vaccines before receiving a blood transfusion for a rare autoimmune disorder.

Alexis was diagnosed with Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH) in January.

This very rare condition affects about one in a million people and causes the immune system to attack and destroy red blood cells.

Alexis Lorenze was diagnosed with Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH) in January.

Earlier this month, she traveled to California for a blood transfusion to help with her damaged blood cells.

When she arrived at UCI Medical, she says doctors told her she needed to get vaccines for tetanus, pneumonia, and meningitis before the transfusion, and all three were given at the same time.

Shortly after the vaccines, she experienced serious symptoms: her vision went dark in both eyes, her jaw locked, she started vomiting, and her body swelled and bruised.

Medical experts are worried about the risks of giving multiple vaccines at once, especially to patients with autoimmune conditions like PNH. These patients can have stronger immune reactions, which may lead to severe complications.

One possible complication is a cytokine storm, where the body attacks its own healthy tissues and organs. This can be life-threatening and cause permanent damage.

The very rare condition affects about one in a million people and causes the immune system to attack and destroy red blood cells.

Dr. Raj Dasgupta, a chief medical advisor, explained that while it’s usually safe for most people to get those vaccines together, in Alexis’s case, her immune response might have been too strong and caused problems.