Witness Testimony

Kirk Desrosiers testified that he was a 43-year-old facility specialist and volunteer firefighter who had received a clean bill of health during a firefighter physical examination in August 2021. He received his first Pfizer vaccine dose (lot FA9099) on August 16, 2021, and his second dose (lot FA9091) on September 13, 2021. He reported no issues following the first dose. Approximately nine days after his second dose, he developed chest pain, shortness of breath, and progressive breathing difficulty, which he initially attributed to overexertion.
During a volunteer firefighter training session, his blood pressure was found to be severely elevated. He was transported to hospital where readings reportedly reached 212/137, oxygen levels were low, and imaging including CT scan with contrast identified what he described as an “extremely large quantity” of blood clots in both lungs. He testified that an emergency physician remarked that his presentation fit the post-vaccination timeframe for clotting events. He stated that hospital staff initially declined to file an adverse event report, but that a later hematology consultation submitted documentation to Health Canada.
Desrosiers testified that he was placed on Xarelto (anticoagulant therapy) and remains on high-dose blood thinners with uncertain duration. He stated that he also requires two blood pressure medications. He described being bedridden for approximately six months, significant weight gain due to inactivity, ongoing breathing limitation, chest pain, and reduced quality of life since the event.