Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 2.1; Flight Crew Total 470.6; Flight Crew Type 228.6
Confusion; Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
Following issuance of a first class medical under special issuance for sleep apnea; conducted a flight for a flight review with a qualified flight instructor. This flight was conducted a few weeks after the first possible dose of an investigational vaccine for COVID-19. The vaccine was unapproved for general use; and the trial the pilot is participating in phase 3 at the time of the flight and currently. The pilot has subsequently taken a second possible dose; but was unaware of any potential FAA interpretation that participation in a vaccine trial was potentially medically disqualifying; he treated the situation as with any vaccination and self certified himself as fit to fly having no adverse symptoms. This may have been incorrect for the moment; but was done in good faith at the time.
Pilot reported taking the COVID vaccine and was unaware that it was unapproved for general use and a possible FAR violation.