Witness Testimony

Jan Francey testified that she was hesitant to receive COVID-19 vaccination due to a history of severe encephalitis at 18 months old, which carried a poor prognosis. She ultimately received two doses because of vaccine passport restrictions and fear of isolation during winter, as she lives alone in a very small apartment. After the first injection, she experienced nausea, vomiting, and abnormal vibrating and numb sensations in her hands. Following the second injection, she reported widespread joint stiffness, worsening vibration sensations throughout her body, severe insomnia, Raynaud’s phenomenon, sensory loss including inability to detect heat, and progressive neurological symptoms affecting vision, hearing, and tolerance to light and sound.
She testified that over subsequent months she developed intense head pressure, facial numbness, and cardiac symptoms including tachycardia with minimal exertion. In July 2022 she attended hospital with widespread hives and swelling but described being humiliated in triage over her mask exemption, which she holds due to PTSD from a prior violent crime. She left without treatment due to distress. An immunologist later suggested rheumatology and neurology referrals during a telephone appointment, but she stated no follow-up ever occurred.
Francey further testified that when she sought medical exemption from further doses, she was told by a physician that exemptions were not permitted under College policy. She stated she was discouraged from filing an adverse event report and that her self-report to Toronto Public Health resulted in no substantive action. She also wrote to the College of Physicians requesting exemption and reported receiving no response. She concluded that she remains unable to work due to persistent cardiac and neurological impairment.