THE husband of a 27-year-old woman who became paralysed, allegedly after taking a Covid-19 vaccine and later died by suicide, has through his attorneys initiated legal action against the State.
A pre-action protocol letter dated April 16, 2025, was sent to the Attorney General and the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) by attorneys Alvin Ramroop, Kingsley Walesby, and Stephanie Rajkumar of San Fernando law firm Kingsley Walesby and Associates on behalf of the widower of Alisha Kanna Seebaran.
Seebaran, who received the Pfizer Covid- 19 vaccine on October 6, 2021, took her life two years later on May 25, 2023, after her health deteriorated, leaving her paralysed and dependent on her husband to take care of her.
The Express received a copy of the pre-action protocol letter, which seeks damages from the State and the NCRHA for what is described as a series of systemic failures.
It claims negligence, breach of statutory duty, and a violation of Seebaran’s constitutional right to life.
According to the letter, Seebaran worked as a waitress at One Restaurant and Bar in Curepe and was directly informed by her employer that vaccination against the Covid-19 virus was required to continue her employment, in accordance with Government policy.
Seebaran received her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at a mass vaccination site at Larry Gomes Stadium in Arima on October 6, 2021.
The next day, she felt a sudden sharp pain on the left side of her neck that lasted for several minutes and then partially subsided.
‘On 8th October, 2021, at about 1 a.m., the deceased awoke again with a sharp pain in her neck. Unfortunately, on this occasion, the pain did not settle down. Instead, the pain extended into a rapidly developing state of paralysis together with urinary and faecal incontinence and the deceased also developed vomiting. The deceased was unable to move the left side of her body including her fingers, her left hand and her left foot. The deceased was also struggling to breathe and her face was turning red then blue in colour,’ the attorneys’ letter stated.
She was taken to the Arima Hospital and then transferred to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) at Mt Hope.
The letter stated that medical assessments, including MRIs and evaluations by specialists, diagnosed her with vaccine- induced transverse myelitis, a serious neurological condition.
After one month at the EWMSC, Seebaran was discharged into her husband’s care.
She remained paralysed on the left side of her body.
‘The deceased was physically incapable thereafter of taking care of her own physical needs. As a consequence, our client was required to take care of all of the deceased’s physical needs including cooking, cleaning, washing, feeding the deceased, bathing the deceased and changing the deceased’s diapers,’ stated the letter.
The letter said Seebaran’s condition did not improve, and in August 2022, she underwent a private medical evaluation by Dr Robert Lowry.
His assessment included a determination that she suffered a vaccine injury secondary to the Pfizer Covid vaccine, leading to LETM (longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis).
The legal action states that although physiotherapy helped her regain minimal strength and movement on the right side of her body, her entire left side remained paralysed, which severely impacted her mental and emotional well-being.
Escalating depression and suicide The attorneys’ letter stated that she suffered from depression and anger directed at herself.
‘The deceased started to express disinterest in activities that she had previously enjoyed prior to the said incident, complaining that she would never again be able to wear nice clothes and that she felt old and sick,’ stated the letter.
The attorneys noted that her depression escalated after she was informed by the hospital that the left side of her body might remain permanently paralysed because physiotherapy had not resulted in any recovery of function in that area.
‘Tragically, the deceased’s sense of hopelessness caused by the debilitating effects which the vaccine had on her physical health adversely affected the deceased’s mental and emotional state to such an extent that it ultimately resulted in the deceased taking her own life on the 25th May, 2023. It was our client who personally discovered the deceased after she committed suicide,’ stated the letter. The attorneys argued that Seebaran’s death has permanently mentally and emotionally traumatised her husband.
The letter alleges that the State failed in its duty to properly inform the public about the potential risks of the Covid-19 vaccines, including side effects and long-term uncertainties, which were especially relevant given the newness of the vaccines at the time.
It also claims that Seebaran was not provided with sufficient information to give informed consent, and that she only agreed to take the vaccine to retain her job at a restaurant that required employee vaccination.
‘The deceased did not want to take the Covid-19 vaccine but did so under duress. She repeatedly told the claimant that she feared taking the vaccine and only did so because she believed she had no choice if she wanted to keep her job and maintain her independence. She was never informed of the risk of neurological damage, and had she been so informed, she would never have taken it,’ stated the letter.
In addition to damages for negligence and constitutional breaches, the pre-action letter also seeks aggravated and exemplary damages, legal costs, and any further relief the court deems just.
The attorneys argued that the State, through the Health Ministry and its agents, had a responsibility to ensure that the vaccine rollout was accompanied by accurate and transparent public health information.
They also assert that citizens like Seebaran were subject to intense public pressure to vaccinate during the pandemic, with little room for individualised medical guidance or alternatives.
The pre-action letter outlines numerous points supporting the claim and cites statutory obligations under the Food and Drugs Act, the State Liability and Proceedings Act, and the Regional Health Authorities Act.
It also refers to public comments by Government officials during the pandemic that allegedly contributed to an environment of coercion rather than informed choice.
The Express contacted Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh yesterday who said he could not comment given the initiation of legal action.
