#22 Ajla Šušnjar

Ajla Šušnjar, 22, was living a creative and healthy life in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2022, she decided to move to Germany to begin a new chapter. To be able to work in the healthcare sector there, she was required to receive two COVID-19 vaccinations.

Prior to her departure, Ajla had already received two Pfizer COVID-19 shots in Bosnia. After the second dose, she began experiencing sudden health issues. Unfortunately, her symptoms were not taken seriously by local doctors. After a few weeks, the issues subsided, and Ajla believed she had fully recovered.

Upon her arrival in Germany, as part of the process to work in a hospital, she was required to get a tetanus shot. It was shortly after this vaccination that her condition deteriorated severely. She began experiencing intense pain and lost her eyesight.

Ajla was examined at another hospital in Germany, where neurologists diagnosed her with multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic neurological condition. She received treatment at a specialized MS center in Munich, which helped reduce some of her symptoms. However, she has suffered permanent vision loss and continues to experience fatigue and dizziness.

Within communities that discuss vaccine-related injuries, cases like Ajla’s are not isolated. Some reports and studies—such as one recently published on the World Health Organization’s website—have explored a link between certain vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines and neurological conditions like MS. Despite this, Ajla’s doctors have not acknowledged any connection between her condition and the vaccinations she received.

Ajla remains resilient. She uses her platform on social media to share her story and raise awareness about multiple sclerosis, a condition she discovered many people know very little about. Ajla encourages anyone living with this diagnosis not to give up and says she’s always willing to talk to those who need support.

You can listen to our conversation on Spotify.

The conversation was conducted in Bosnian language.