Witness Testimony

Mallory Flank, a critical care paramedic and medical student, testified that she received a mandated COVID-19 vaccination on May 14, 2021, as required for healthcare workers in Alberta. Within minutes she experienced an anaphylactic reaction, followed by daily recurrent reactions requiring repeated use of epinephrine and multiple emergency department visits. She was hospitalized for seven days, including five days in intensive care. She stated that she later developed mast cell activation syndrome, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), and a severe allergy to the S1 protein, resulting in persistent, life-threatening reactions and long-term dependence on injectable medications administered through a central line.
Flank described ongoing daily reactions triggered by environmental exposures, stress, exercise, and allergens, as well as progressive autoimmune complications. She testified that she was advised by an immunologist to receive a second vaccine dose despite her condition and expressed concern regarding adverse event documentation and physician reporting, stating that some medical records characterized her condition as psychiatric despite nursing documentation of observable reactions. She reported that her provincial adverse event record was later inaccessible within the healthcare system.
She further described the impact on her family, including loss of parenting time due to illness severity and court-related complications, as well as significant financial hardship. According to her testimony, she has incurred substantial out-of-pocket medical expenses, exhausted personal and family savings, and is currently on provincial disability support. She stated that her condition remains poorly understood, that access to specialized treatment has been limited, and that her prognosis is uncertain, with the possibility of lifelong impairment.