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Pilot experiences side effects after flying immediately after COVID vaccine

By NASA · August 16, 2021 ·

This is an excerpt from a report made to the Aviation Safety Reporting System. The narrative is written by the pilot, rather than FAA or NTSB officials. To maintain anonymity, many details, such as aircraft model or airport, are often scrubbed from the reports.

I received the second dose of vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID). The vaccine is highly safe and effective, but clinical data show that many people have minor side effects like fatigue, muscle pains, headache, and flu-like symptoms. The FAA requires a 48-hour waiting period after administration of this vaccine for that reason.

I had not reviewed the FAA circular.

I concluded that it would take longer than the flight I had planned for any potential side effects to develop, so I launched on a four-hour flight. Towards the end of this flight, I made an unscheduled fuel stop and started to develop a mild headache.

Recognizing that these might be symptoms related to the vaccination, I grounded myself.

Later that evening, I developed symptoms that were severe enough that they would have presented a safety issue, had I been operating an airplane.

I neglected to review the FAA circular in advance of this flight. A 48-hour delay after the vaccination would have prevented the possibility of experiencing symptoms that could present a danger during flight.

Primary Problem: Human Factors

ACN: 1787156

About NASA

NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) captures confidential reports, analyzes the resulting aviation safety data, and disseminates vital information to the aviation community.

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Comments

  1. Tom Ledford says

    June 7, 2022 at 11:19 am

    For the safety of the traveling public every pilot that has been vaccinated should be grounded until a transparent report as to both near and long term vaccine side effects has been submitted to and reviewed by a public body not beholden to vested interests.

    Until that day the flying public will be at substantive risk due to catastrophic outcomes en route resulting from potential health issues by way of the vaccinated who continue to maintain their flight privileges.

  2. Tim Flake says

    April 19, 2022 at 8:23 am

    Why would anyone let themselves be injected with anything that’s not proven safe. I don’t care if ya took the jab or not, everyone with common sence has to queestion WHY is there such a push to get it? WHY a ‘win money’ lottery for those who get jabbed? WHY the honoree of a parade be for a person that’s going to get jabbed? Why would they possibly jab children near 0 death rate? WHY would you lose your job because you didn’t want the jab for a virus that you have a 99.7% of surviving. MASKS DO ‘NOTHING’ FOR A VIRUS THAT TAKES A COMPLETE 100% AIR SUITE to avoid. No,,, they don’t help!!!! Half you people out there have turned into government belief sheep. Some people even get the shot ‘after’ having the virus. WOW U.S. people,,, the biggest threat of all——– CCEENNSSOORRIINNGG OF PEOPLES VIEWS. HOW ARE WE ””’ALL AMERICANS””” LETTING THIS HAPPEN…..

  3. Laurie Sattler says

    January 22, 2022 at 9:03 am

    Canadians. Join Freetofly.ca
    Americans. Join USFreedomFlyers.org https://www.usfreedomflyers.org/

  4. John says

    November 24, 2021 at 7:25 pm

    Go to page 384 of the Guide to Medical Examiners. Since Comirnaty is the only FDA approved Covid vaccine (according to documents at the FDA website), it seems to me every pilot that took a covid shot has an invalid medical. FDA also took pains to explain pfizer and Comirnaty are “Legally distinct”. No mention of EUA on page 384. https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/aam/ame/guide/media/guide.pdf

  5. Ted Stacy says

    August 19, 2021 at 4:58 am

    I don’t know that 48 hours is enough time. My wife got medium sick about 4 days after her second. I have not taken any vaccine as I think the well-established research on the NIH site supports that 4,000 IU Vitamin D is better and safer for Covid and many other health issues whether you’re vaccinated or not. I do not isolate, mask, or social distance unless required by a sign. No problems at all despite multiple Covid exposures over the last 17 months. You were wise to sit it out.

    • Phil says

      August 19, 2021 at 9:59 am

      From the August 17, 2021 NIH Covid 19 Guidelines:

      Vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection.

      From the NIH webpage about Vitamin D:

      There is insufficient evidence to recommend either for or against the use of vitamin D for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19.

      • TDP says

        September 14, 2021 at 3:46 pm

        anything that does not make pharma, CDC or FDA money, is not going to be studied one way or another

      • Mary Colton says

        October 4, 2021 at 10:22 pm

        So you favor taking your reccomendations from the maker of the vaccine. Hmmmm not critical thinking.

        • Phil says

          October 5, 2021 at 10:12 am

          The NIH is not the maker of the vaccine. Critical thinking requires knowing the actual facts.

          • Kareen gangell says

            October 22, 2021 at 11:16 pm

            Too many adverse reactions for me ..

          • Stephanie says

            April 19, 2022 at 6:01 am

            The “facts” aren’t only those presented by the NIH or CDC- both heavily paid off by big pharma. Do some critical thinking; in regard to the vaccine, you will have to do more work in order to do due diligence. Any one who speaks against the narrative is censored on most social media platforms And without question on the main stream media.

  6. Plane Sense says

    August 17, 2021 at 7:47 pm

    I wonder what type aircraft (pressurized or unpressurized) and at what altitude(s) the flight was flown.
    Four hours of flight at reduced atmospheric pressure could have induced and/or aggravated the symptoms.
    Any feedback from an aeromed physician would be interesting and helpful.

  7. Rich says

    August 17, 2021 at 7:47 pm

    Oh great then if I don’t have a reaction and feel miserable then it didn’t work?

    • Bill+w says

      August 18, 2021 at 12:53 pm

      95% effectiveness whether you had post jab symptoms or not

  8. Mike L says

    August 17, 2021 at 7:01 am

    I personally know 6 people who have had side effects from all of the vaccines. From being temporarily paralyzed, severe headaches, joint pain to Bright Red patches on their cheeks. Not to mention fever. More and more evidence is coming out about the side effects of the vaccine, (from real doctors), and none of it is good! We’ll see what happens to all of the vaccinated in 2 to 3 years starting this fall.

    • Phil says

      August 17, 2021 at 11:17 am

      I personally know 6 people who got the vaccines and had no side effects whatsoever. But a sample size of 6 is scientifically meaningless.

      Dr. Melanie Swift, co-chair of Mayo Clinic’s COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation and Distribution Work Group, says all vaccines could cause some degree of reaction. The same is true with the COVID-19 vaccines.

      “They do provoke an immune reaction, which can cause symptoms,” says Dr. Swift. “That shouldn’t be confused with being harmful or being unsafe. It’s what the vaccine is intended to do.”

      • Susan+Loricchio says

        August 18, 2021 at 6:41 am

        Talking about serious adverse reactions, when you’re the one nothing else matters. And there is no aid for COVID-19 vaccine, should you experience a serious adverse lasting injury, unlike other vaccines.

        • Susan+Loricchio says

          August 18, 2021 at 6:41 am

          No federal financial aid

          • Mary Colton says

            October 4, 2021 at 10:38 pm

            Worse yet the makers of it have made sure they will not be held accountable that speaks for itself. If they new it was safe they would have no problem being liable. They know its not safe and thats a fact proven by their actions. Logic prevails at all times.

            • Kareen gangell says

              October 22, 2021 at 11:18 pm

              Totally agree..that in itself is a silent admission of guilt

        • Phil says

          August 18, 2021 at 11:10 am

          Covid can have some pretty long-lasting effects as well, including death. I remember when seat belts were first introduced in cars there were people who said you should never use them because they could trap you in a wreck. And that’s true, but statistically it’s far more likely they will save your life in a wreck. There is perceived risk, and then there is real risk. Science is the tool to determine the difference.

          • Bill+w says

            August 18, 2021 at 11:37 am

            You are correct. All the anecdotal “I know someone”fearmongering, antiscience, conspiracist, and politicization of Covid/vaccination have Petri dish rapidly grown irrationality. All of a sudden half of Americans appear to have miraculously been imbued with medical knowledge greater than infectious disease experts.

            Would pilots trust their hairdressers for their A&P work? Not a far fetched analogy.

            • Aluoni says

              October 12, 2021 at 9:37 pm

              Please, science is based on multiple medical and scientific opinion and then proving theory and having it peer reviewed, NONE of that is being done in government or our public health

          • Melody says

            October 28, 2021 at 11:13 am

            Yes but totally not relatable, because you didnt have to put the seatbelt into your body… Not a good example at all. If you had to injest the seatbelt that would have been a completely different matter.

    • Bill+w says

      August 17, 2021 at 1:47 pm

      “And none of it is good”…ya mean compared to morbidity/mortality from Covid??

  9. geebig says

    August 17, 2021 at 6:50 am

    No excuse. Pilots are required by reg to know all available information before each flight and especially to be medically ready to fly (no drugs, no fatigue, no bad attitude). Information on the 2nd shot was WELL KNOWN and anyone taking it was ADVISED about the extra level of reaction and the fact it would take 48 hours for the shot to settle down. The reaction was due to the immue system attenuation after the first shot and anyone NOT reacting was considered to not have the immune levels necessary to resist the virus.

    • Michael+Schulz says

      August 19, 2021 at 6:12 pm

      Aren’t you a ray of regulation sunshine. Are you on the FAA payroll? Do you cancel a flight because the destination airport ASOS system is down? Hopefully common sense plays into this at some point. That’s why they invented alternate airports and the most marvelous manuver ever created, the 180° turn!
      (For some people common sense is a superpower).

      • Mary Colton says

        October 4, 2021 at 10:34 pm

        Are you assuming the alternative airports arent having the same problem that becomes chronically exponential as time passes and 2nd and 3rd jabs ensue. This is going to get worse not better this is just the kick off we see now.

      • Mac85 says

        May 27, 2022 at 4:42 am

        That 180deg turn is proven to be Godly in the spiritual world too. It is easier with our Savior as the pilot and each copilot listening urgently.

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