Declared Dead After the Shot: Carol’s Vaccine Injury Nightmare

For 21 years, Carol Messenger worked in service of others as part of Vancouver Fire Rescue Services. Now, she’s under investigation — not as the suspect, but as the victim of a suspicious fire and a suspicious collapse. Carol was the department’s first female captain. But after suffering from heat exhaustion, she suddenly became the one in need of help.

Only 25 days after her second COVID shot, Carol collapsed.

“I was paralyzed — literally from the waist down on the backside of my body right to the tips of my toes.”

Doctors found a large 5 cm lesion between her T10 and T11 vertebrae, pressing against her spinal cord. She was diagnosed with transverse myelitis — a rare but acknowledged side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“I had a full-time catheter. Everything just stopped and seized up.”

Through months of physiotherapy, Carol learned how to walk again. On her neurologist’s advice, she applied to the Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP) — hoping for compensation and help with mounting medical bills.

Then came the shock: VISP declared her dead.

“They actually said I was dead. It was in a letter sent to one of my doctors. Three lines from the bottom: ‘Deceased claimant.’ I couldn’t believe it.”

Instead of correcting the error and fast-tracking her case, the delays only got worse.

“The experience I’ve had is absolutely deplorable.”

The Public Health Agency of Canada had promised the program would offer fair and timely access to compensation. They hired a private consulting firm called Roche Health Solutions (formerly Asaro) to manage it. But Carol has now waited 22 months without ever being assessed.

“It eroded any confidence that I had.”

An international expert on vaccine injury programs says she’s never seen anything like this:

“I don’t think anybody would accept this level of administrative snafus — even in a single isolated case. This has to be fixed.”

PHAC has now launched an audit into Asaro and its management of the program, amid growing calls for a full public inquiry.

“We need an inquiry, because this is the cornerstone of our national immunization program. We have to get this right.”

The current contract is set to expire in Spring 2026.

“And all I can do is pray that they never again have the power to impact people so negatively.”

Asaro did not respond to Global News’ questions, but previously stated it is working with the Public Health Agency of Canada to improve the program and aims to ensure that all cases are treated with fairness, care, respect, and due diligence.

— Jarvis, Global News