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A Colorado hospital system says it is denying organ transplants to patients who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 “in almost all situations” under a new policy.
UCHealth, which operates hospitals and emergency care facilities statewide, confirmed to The Post on Wednesday that organ transplant recipients and living donors must now be vaccinated against COVID-19 before undergoing procedures.
The healthcare system said the driving force behind the policy change was studies showing transplant patients are more likely to die if they contract COVID-19. The death rate of transplant patients who receive COVID is over 20%, according to UCHealth.
“This is why it is essential that the recipient and the living donor are vaccinated and take other precautions before undergoing a transplant,” UCHealth said in a statement.
“Surgeries can be postponed until patients take all the necessary precautions to give them the best chance of achieving positive results.”
It was not immediately clear when the new policy was put in place or what situations did not warrant a COVID vaccine.
UCHealth confirmed the policy change after Republican Colorado State Representative Tim Geitner on Tuesday tweeted a letter that Colorado Springs woman Leilani Lutali received last month, saying her kidney transplant waiting list status was changed to “inactive” because she had not been vaccinated.
In an interview with CBS Denver, Lutali said her donor Jaimee Fougner – whom she met in a Bible study 10 months ago – had also not been vaccinated.
Lutali, who suffers from stage 5 kidney failure, said she was made aware of the new policy in a September 28 letter after being initially told in August that she did not need a vaccine to get her new kidney.
She said she didn’t want to get the vaccine because there were too many unknowns.
“I said I will sign a medical discharge. Either way, I have to sign a waiver for the transplant itself, freeing them from anything that could go wrong, ”Lutali said.
“It’s surgery, it’s invasive. I sign a waiver for my life. I don’t know why I can’t sign a waiver for the COVID vaccine. “
Fougner, who said she had not received the vaccine for religious reasons, added, “It’s your choice on what treatment you have. In Leilani’s case, the choice was taken away from him. His life is now taken hostage because of this mandate.
The couple are looking for another hospital to perform the transplant.
UCHealth has doubled down on its new policy, saying other transplant centers across the country already have COVID vaccine mandates in place and others are now introducing it.
“An organ transplant is a one-time surgical procedure that leads to specialized lifelong management to ensure that an organ is not rejected, which can lead to serious complications, the need for a subsequent transplant, or even death, “UCHealth said in a statement.
“Doctors need to consider the short- and long-term health risks of patients when considering recommending an organ transplant. “
UCHealth said there were specific requirements in place before transplants took place. In some cases, patients must have other vaccines, such as hepatitis B, or may be required to avoid alcohol, smoke, or prove that they can continue to take anti-rejection drugs.
“These requirements increase the likelihood that a transplant will be successful and the patient will avoid rejection,” the statement said.
“In almost all situations, transplant recipients and living donors at UCHealth must now be vaccinated against COVID-19 in addition to meeting other health requirements and receiving additional vaccinations. “
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