A 26-YEAR-OLD waitress who developed paralysis days after receiving a Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, and later died, has become the subject of a High Court lawsuit against the State and the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA).The claim was filed by Nicholas Francis on behalf of his late wife, Alisha Kanna Seebaran, who passed away in May 2023 after what court documents describe as a vaccine-induced neurological injury.According to the claim, Seebaran received her first dose of the Pfizer mRNA vaccine at an NCRHA mass vaccination site in Arima on October 6, 2021.Within 48 hours, she reportedly developed paralysis on the left side of her body and was later diagnosed at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) with transverse myelitis, a rare neurological disorder affecting the spinal cord.The lawsuit, filed in the San Fernando Sub-Registry earlier this month, names the Office of the Attorney General and the NCRHA as defendants. It is the first such case to be filed in this country.Francis alleges that despite serving a pre-action protocol letter on both defendants in April last year, efforts at resolving the matter outside court failed after what he claims were repeated delays by the NCRHA and no response from the AG’s Office.The NCRHA eventually responded in November 2025, denying negligence and disputing any causal connection between the vaccine and Seebaran’s condition. However, the claim contends that the NCRHA’s position contradicts findings made by its own medical personnel.Court filings reference a peer-reviewed medical paper published in the international journal Cureus in February 2022, co-authored by a consultant neurologist involved in Seebaran’s treatment. The article reportedly documented four cases of neurological illness following Covid19 vaccination in Trinidad and Tobago, including Seebaran’s case, and concluded the adverse events were “likely due to the vaccines.”The claim further states that local and international medical consultants subsequently supported that causal link in medico-legal reports.Francis is also challenging the legality and constitutionality of aspects of the Government’s Covid19 vaccination policy and “Safe Zone” regulations introduced in 2021.The lawsuit claims Seebaran, who worked as a waitress in Curepe, felt compelled to take the vaccine because of fears she could lose her job under the regulations restricting access to workplaces and public spaces to vaccinated persons.The claim references statements made by then Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and then Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young during the September 2021 announcement of the Safe Zone policy.According to the filing, Seebaran was hesitant about taking the vaccine but believed her employment depended on it.Francis is contending that where the State effectively conditions employment and access to public life on vaccination, it assumes responsibility for injuries allegedly resulting from that medical intervention.The claim raises broader constitutional questions surrounding informed consent, public health policy and the State’s duty of care during emergencies.Among the issues identified for determination are whether official statements describing the vaccines as “safe and effective” were misleading, whether consent obtained under threat of unemployment could be considered legally informed consent, and whether constitutional protections can be curtailed during a public health emergency.Francis is seeking damages as well as declarations intended to establish legal precedent regarding informed consent, state accountability and public health communications.The matter is being supported by the Trinidad and Tobago Civil Advocacy Network (TTCAN), which said it assisted Seebaran following her injury.Francis is being represented by attorneys Kingsley Walesby, Alvin Ramroop and Stephanie Rajkumar.