The 40-year-old police officer and father of two, Johan Åwall from Örebro, passed away after contracting TBE – despite being fully vaccinated against the tick-borne viral disease. After two and a half months in the intensive care unit, his life could not be saved.
Johan Åwall worked within the police force and had taken the vaccine at the recommended intervals as part of workplace protection. According to his family, he was healthy, exercised regularly, and lived an active life together with his partner Carin and their children, Iris and Olle.
The onset of illness began at the end of August 2025 when Johan woke up with a severe headache and fever. The family initially thought it was a normal infection, but his condition deteriorated rapidly the same day. Johan became confused and found it difficult to speak coherently before he was taken to the emergency room, reports local newspaper Nerikes Allehanda.
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Soon after, it was confirmed that he was suffering from a severe brain inflammation caused by the TBE virus. Despite intensive care and extensive treatment, Johan suffered severe brain injuries and never woke up again.
He was treated on a ventilator for just over two months while the family hoped for improvement. His partner Carin, his brother David, and other relatives spent much of the time by his side in the hospital.
– It was absolutely awful to be thrown between hope and despair. The only thing we could do was wait and give his body time to try to work this out, Carin told NA.
Eventually, it became clear that Johan could no longer breathe without the aid of a ventilator due to the brain injuries. On November 17, the family had to say goodbye.
According to the family, doctors have not been able to explain why the vaccine did not provide protection in Johan’s case. The TBE vaccine is described as very safe, and deaths among fully vaccinated people are rare.
Despite the tragedy, the family says their trust in the vaccine remains and that both Carin and David themselves continue to be vaccinated against TBE.