New-onset refractory status epilepticus after first dose of tozinameran

Abstract

As the worldwide vaccination effort against COVID-19 gains traction, complications attributed to the vaccines are increasingly reported in medical literature. Herein, we describe the first two cases of new-onset refractory status epilepticus after receiving their first doses of tozinameran. These were attributed to underlying autoimmune responses against the vaccine given the temporal proximity to them receiving tozinameran, the absence of alternative diagnoses, the refractoriness of their seizures, and their clinical improvement only after administration of immunotherapies. Importantly, their cases supplement existing reports on the rare neurologic complications of the COVID-19 vaccines and encourage continued vigilance amongst the physicians amidst the pandemic.