Witness Testimony

Drue Taylor, a 33-year-old massage therapist and yoga instructor, testified that she received a Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in April 2021 after consulting her family physician due to a pre-existing blood clotting condition (Factor V Leiden). Within hours of vaccination, she experienced cardiac symptoms including tachycardia, dizziness, nausea, and presyncope, prompting an emergency room visit. Although initial cardiac testing was reported as normal, her family physician advised against a second dose, while Alberta Health Services personnel later advised her to proceed with vaccination, stating her reaction was not vaccine-related.
Her symptoms persisted and expanded, including extreme heart rate elevation upon standing, tremors, blood pooling, gastrointestinal dysfunction, sleep disruption, heat intolerance, and inability to work. After further cardiac evaluation and an inconclusive tilt table test, she reported being encouraged by multiple medical professionals to receive a second dose. She received a Pfizer vaccine in January 2022, after which she described a significant worsening of symptoms, including loss of consciousness, inability to stand, severe autonomic instability, and substantial mobility impairment.
Fifteen months after her second dose, Taylor testified that she requires mobility aids including a walker and wheelchair, cannot return to her profession, and has been formally diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). She reported ongoing dietary restrictions, chronic fatigue, and reduced functional capacity. She has applied to the federal vaccine injury compensation program and remains in the adjudication process.