Witness Testimony

Michelle Ellert testified that she received a COVID-19 vaccination in September 2021 after her employer mandated full vaccination as a condition of continued employment, with unpaid leave or termination as consequences for non-compliance. She stated that she was hesitant due to concerns about rapid vaccine development and observed health decline in her elderly mother following vaccination, but proceeded for economic reasons. Within days, she experienced difficulty urinating, followed by burning, visible blood, and blood clots in her urine, leading to emergency department visits. She reported being initially treated for a suspected bladder infection, though later informed that no infection was present. During one emergency visit, she recorded blood pressure readings as high as approximately 190/130 and was told her symptoms were anxiety-related.
She testified that subsequent testing, including ultrasound and bloodwork, was largely reported as normal, though one physician initially attributed her condition to an immune response to the vaccine and completed paperwork referencing vaccine injury. By December 1, 2021, she was placed on medical leave and has not returned to work. She described chronic fatigue requiring extended bed rest, muscle weakness, joint pain, persistent headaches, blurred vision, and significant cognitive impairment affecting reading, writing, and executive functioning. Thirteen months after symptom onset, a specialist informed her that the condition could not be classified as a vaccine injury due to lack of proof and referred her for further testing, which she stated remained inconclusive.
Ms. Ellert further testified that she has been assessed for dysautonomia and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), reporting significant blood pressure spikes with minimal exertion, including readings of approximately 182/132 during physiotherapy assessment. She remains on long-term disability and reports no definitive diagnosis from provincial health services. She also described health concerns in her teenage daughter following vaccination, including burning sensations in the mouth and scalp, tachycardia, chronic fatigue, and reduced stamina compared to pre-vaccination functioning.