Elizabeth Zavala, a lawyer from Guadalajara, is suing Mexico’s federal Ministry of Health in the Federal Court of Administrative Justice over severe vision loss she attributes to her first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, which she received at the Auditorio Benito Juárez on August 20, 2021. According to court records and public transparency data, the case represents a high-stakes legal challenge regarding state liability for adverse events tied to national immunization campaigns.
The Onset of Symptoms and Clinical Diagnosis
Four days after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine during Mexico’s mass immunization rollout, Zavala experienced sudden vision loss in her left eye, according to medical documents cited in the litigation. Specialists diagnosed her with central retinal vein occlusion, commonly known as an eye stroke. Subsequent clinical evaluations and expert opinions incorporated into the case file linked her condition to vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), a rare syndrome recognized by the World Health Organization in July 2021 as occurring predominantly within three to thirty days post-vaccination.
Zavala’s legal action argues that this temporal proximity, combined with specialized genetic testing that ruled out hereditary clotting disorders such as the Factor V Leiden mutation, establishes the medical basis for her claim. Over the course of five years, her treatment required nine surgeries and fourteen intravítreas injections, ultimately leaving her with a condition medical records describe as a painful blind eye.
Administrative Hurdles and the Path to the Federal Tribunal
After experiencing adverse effects, Zavala attempted to report her case through official health surveillance channels, receiving instructions to take paracetamol when she called the number listed on her vaccination voucher. Subsequent formal complaints filed with federal health authorities met administrative resistance. According to court records, the federal Ministry of Health initially argued it lacked jurisdiction, contending that the Secretariat of Health of Jalisco bore responsibility because the vaccination site was located in Guadalajara.
On August 22, 2023, Zavala formally filed a state patrimonial liability claim against the federal Ministry of Health. The agency issued resolution 003/25-RPE-UGAJ-SSA on November 5, 2025, declaring the claim unfounded. This decision prompted Zavala to file a nullity lawsuit, which the Second Regional Chamber of Guadalajara admitted on February 16, 2026. On May 14, 2026, the chamber ruled that the Ministry of Health had submitted its response past the legal deadline and failed to present the required administrative file.
Broader Implications for Vaccine Injury Claims in Mexico
Public transparency requests filed by Zavala show that COFEPRIS has registered 6,574 alleged adverse events following immunization (ESAVI) linked to AstraZeneca products in Mexico. Zavala’s lawsuit seeks comprehensive reparations, arguing that the state must establish effective mechanisms to evaluate and compensate citizens who suffer severe health impacts from mandatory public health policies.
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