Organ Transplant Denied Over Vax Status
If you need an organ transplant in Colorado you’ll be asked for your vaccine papers first.
A woman living in Denver, Colorado was informed by UC Health that since she isn’t vaccinated she will be removed from the organ transplant recipients list.
Patient, Leilani Lutali, found out the hard way when her kidney donor, Jaimee Fougner was asked about her vaccination status during testing prior to the procedure.
“She said, ‘Oh, by the way, have you been vaccinated for COVID-19?’ I explained to her that no I hadn’t, and because of my religious beliefs I couldn’t be vaccinated for it,” Fougner said. “And she said ‘well, unfortunately, then that means your journey ends here.’”
“I am choosing to not go forward with something right now because I feel like I don’t have enough information to understand what the implications are to my health in the future,” she said.
“Patients may also be required to avoid alcohol, stop smoking, or prove they will be able to continue taking their anti-rejection medications long after their transplant surgery,” UCHealth said. “These requirements increase the likelihood that a transplant will be successful and the patient will avoid rejection.”
