Vaccine Injury of Danielle S.

Former San Francisco firefighter and EMT. After more than two decades of service, she now lives in Colorado, far from family, coping with Long COVID and the lasting impacts of vaccine injury and forced retirement.

I’m a dual national, born and raised in the UK, and served over 20 years in fire suppression with the San Francisco Fire Department. I was a lieutenant, firefighter, and EMT—extremely fit, and a single mother who worked 24–48 hour shifts through the pandemic, often clocking 70+ hours a week.
San Francisco first responders were mandated to get vaccinated or face termination. While I’m not anti-vaccine, I had serious concerns about how little was known at the time. But being somewhat close to retirement, I couldn’t afford to lose my job.
Both doses, taken within three months in mid-2021, made me sick. Then in December 2021, I contracted COVID on duty—despite being fully vaccinated—and my life changed. I never recovered from that initial infection. I developed crushing fatigue, shortness of breath, cognitive issues, rashes, heart palpitations, and more. The symptoms persisted, and I was diagnosed with Long COVID by a workers’ compensation doctor.
Two months later, despite medical advice to postpone, I was told by the SFFD doctor that I had to get a third vaccine or risk losing my job. That dose cemented my decline. Four months into this hell, with no real support, I became suicidal. The stigma around Long COVID was brutal—some colleagues assumed I was faking it. Workers’ compensation doctors dismissed it as menopause, despite letters from my endocrinologist and gynecologist—who had treated me for over 10 years—stating I had always been in excellent health and had clearly declined since contracting COVID.
I was forced to attend two separate three-hour Zoom hearings with the San Francisco City Attorney. They combed through 30 years of my medical history and fixated on notes where I had once reported being “tired” and that I was menopausal—as if that explained it all. The truth is, I had successfully managed menopause for years while doing a physically demanding job. And let’s be honest—if I were a man, menopause wouldn’t have even been mentioned.
I was assessed by four different insurance doctors, each for several hours, and all reported extensive damage. Still, the system denied functional or integrative treatments, offered no modified duty, and ultimately forced me into early retirement. In over a year on disability, SFFD contacted me only once.
I had to drain my savings to move out of state—San Francisco was unlivable on disability pay. I relocated to Denver and now face over $30,000 in legal fees. I live with three heart conditions, post-exertional malaise, MCAS, cognitive impairment, constant fatigue, and persistent depression. I’ve lost my health, my career, my community, and my financial stability. Though I’ve been granted 80% disability, it’s done little to improve my situation. I’m still waiting for a Fire Commission Disability hearing—three years and eight months after I tested positive and had to stop working.
I receive no medical care at this point. I cannot work. I’m extremely isolated, far from my family in the UK, and don’t see how I’ll ever afford to return home. I’m not hopeful for my future. I used to love helping people. I had a career I was proud of, friendships, a social life, financial security, and a body that could carry me through anything. I am no longer that person. It’s hard to find joy when you’re grinding through every day.

Unless you’ve lived this, you can’t fully understand the fallout. Being mandated forces to choose your health and loose your job, or a vaccine you know nothing about and keep your job/fiscal security. This is no fair choice. Then relentless government assessments with no working medical help, layered on top of being really sick and not knowing what’s happening, just crushes your will to live. Medical gaslighting is so real. I feel abandoned by the city I served for over two decades.
I’m so very grateful React19 and others are finally giving people like me a voice.

This wasn’t the retirement I worked for!