Colorado hospital system will not perform transplants on unvaccinated patients in most cases

A Colorado hospital system says it won’t perform transplant surgery for unvaccinated patients in most cases. UCHealth said it has implemented the policy to protect its patients, CBS Denver reports.

“For transplant patients who contract COVID-19, the death rate ranges from about 20% to over 30%,” UCHealth said in a statement to CBS Denver. “This shows the extreme risk COVID-19 poses to transplant recipients after their surgery. “

Studies show that the COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States are very effective in preventing the disease. In the United States, 186 million people have been fully vaccinated – 56.68% of the population – according to Johns Hopkins University.

Still, some unvaccinated transplant patients in Colorado – a state with 62.05% of its population vaccinated – are feeling the effects of UCHealth’s new policy.

A woman with stage 5 kidney disease was months away from having a new kidney, but she is now seeking a new hospital because she and her donor are unvaccinated, reports CBS Denver.

Jaimee Fougner, who donates a kidney to Leilani Lutali, said she did not receive the vaccine for religious reasons. Lutali said she did not receive the vaccine because there were too many unknowns. The women, who met in a Bible study, were only aware of the need for vaccines before the operation last week.

“At the end of August, they confirmed there was no need for a COVID vaccine at that time,” Lutali told CBS Denver. “Fast-forward to September 28. That’s when I found out. Jamie learned that they have this policy regarding the COVID vaccine for both donor and recipient.”

UCHealth, which sent women a letter informing them of the vaccination policy, said they had 30 days to receive the first vaccine. If they refuse, they will be removed from the list of transplants.

“I said I would sign a medical waiver. I have to sign a waiver for the transplant itself anyway, freeing them from anything that could go wrong,” Lutali said. “It’s surgery, it’s invasive. I’m signing a waiver for my life. I don’t know why I can’t sign a waiver for the COVID vaccine.”

UCHealth said the goal of the vaccination policy is to protect the health of its patients and that transplant centers across the United States have such requirements in place.

Patients often need to receive other vaccines, such as hepatitis B and MMR, before surgery, according to UCHealth. The hospital says such requirements increase the likelihood of a successful transplant.

The women have not been able to find another Colorado hospital willing to perform the transplant if they are not vaccinated, so they are considering options in other states, CBS Denver reports.

CBS News has contacted UCHealth for comment and is awaiting a response.