Dr. Philip McMillan,  John McMillan

In most countries, an 84-year-old man’s death five weeks after his fourth COVID-19 vaccination would have been noted and filed away as just another random statistic. Fortunately for science, Japanese medical protocols mandate thorough autopsy investigations in cases of death following COVID-19 vaccination. Japan does things differently, and thanks to its strict focus on autopsy, this case has become a window into one of medicine’s most pressing mysteries: the complex interplay between COVID-19 vaccines, viral infections, and our immune system. The story begins not with the dramatic but with the subtle. The elderly patient received his fourth COVID-19 vaccine, showing no immediate concerns. But five weeks later, something changed. He experienced lightheadedness, a subsequent fall, and eventually a fever that led to unconsciousness. What makes this case remarkable isn’t just the sequence of events but the meticulous investigation that followed. While many might have dismissed any connection to the vaccine given ten weeks earlier, these researchers left no stone unturned. They followed a basic principle of medicine that has been increasingly overlooked: investigate everything, regardless of prevailing narratives. Thanks to the Japanese commitment to thorough investigation, this case has opened new paths of understanding about a phenomenon that medical researcher Dr. Philip McMillan terms the ‘COVID storm.’

The Blood-Brain Barrier Breach

The human brain maintains a sophisticated defense system – the blood-brain barrier. Imagine a high-security facility where every molecule must show proper credentials before entering. The autopsy of the 84-year-old man revealed that this barrier had been penetrated. Immune cells, specifically T-cells, had infiltrated the tissue around blood vessels in critical areas: the thalamus, pons, and cerebellum. The presence of immune cells beyond this barrier signals a significant breach in the body’s natural defenses. More striking was the pattern of damage. The brain showed small hemorrhages and inflammation, but traditional brain scans hadn’t detected these changes. This suggests that many similar cases might go undetected without detailed autopsy studies. Even more intriguing was the presence of spike protein – but not nucleocapsid protein – in various tissues ten weeks after vaccination. This finding suggests a persistent immune response, challenging our understanding of how long vaccine-related effects might last. While the patient’s primary symptoms seemed neurological, the autopsy showed inflammation across multiple organs. The patient’s lungs exhibited severe inflammation despite minimal respiratory symptoms. The liver displayed signs of necrosis. The heart’s right ventricle was dilated. This multi-organ involvement suggests a broader immune response than typically associated with either vaccination or infection alone.

The “COVID Storm” Theory

The “COVID storm” hypothesis put forward by Dr. McMillan offers a framework for understanding these observations. Think of the spike protein as a piece of Velcro that can bind to various normal proteins in the body. When the immune system encounters these modified proteins, it may fail to recognize them as “self,” triggering an autoimmune response. This theory suggests a two-phase process: first, vaccination primes the immune system; later, an infection triggers an autoimmune response that may present weeks or even months later. This delayed reaction might explain why traditional cause-and-effect relationships have been difficult to establish in similar cases.

A Model for Future Research

The Japanese approach to this investigation serves as a model for others to follow. Their Society of Pathology mandates autopsies in cases of death after COVID vaccination – not to prove or disprove any particular theory, but simply to understand. This systematic approach allows patterns to emerge that might otherwise remain hidden. The findings suggest several crucial considerations for medical research: 1. We must expand our investigation timelines when considering vaccine-related events. 2. The absence of obvious symptoms doesn’t rule out serious underlying pathology. 3. Complex interactions between vaccination and infection deserve deeper study. 4. Systematic autopsy studies remain crucial for understanding new medical phenomena. This case reminds us that medical understanding advances through careful observation and documentation. In an era where quick answers are often demanded, this research demonstrates the value of methodical investigation and the willingness to consider complex interactions. The ten-week gap between vaccination and serious symptoms suggests we may need to broaden our timeline when considering potential vaccine-related events. The presence of inflammation across multiple organs, even without obvious symptoms, indicates the need for comprehensive evaluation in similar cases. Only through such careful study can we hope to understand the full spectrum of post-vaccination and post-infection phenomena, ultimately leading to better patient care and safer medical interventions.  

References:

Shuji Mikami: Multifocal meningoencephalitis after vaccination against COVID-19