Doctors recently treated a 47-year-old man for a very rare medical reaction. After he received a Covid booster shot, a hidden tuberculosis (TB) infection in his body woke up. While TB is a serious global disease, this specific reaction to a vaccine is considered extremely unusual.
The man was diagnosed with a condition called TB-IRIS. This occurs when a vaccine “restarts” the immune system, causing it to attack an existing infection too hard. Instead of fighting the TB quietly, the man’s body overreacted. This led to severe inflammation, high fevers, and night sweats.
The patient was already taking medicine for arthritis. These drugs can weaken the immune system, which allowed the TB bacteria to stay hidden. When the booster shot arrived, it triggered a sudden, aggressive immune response. This made the dormant infection flare up and cause symptoms for the first time.
To fix the problem, doctors used strong steroids to calm the inflammation. He also took standard TB medication. The treatment worked well, but it took over a year for him to fully recover. He is now healthy and back on his regular arthritis medication.
Medical experts say that while this case is important, it is also very rare. Vaccines are generally safe and effective at preventing severe illness. This story simply helps doctors understand how the immune system reacts in patients with unique health backgrounds.