Hospitals requiring COVID vaccines for transplant

[CW]

Has anyone been told by your transplant hospital that you need to be vaccinated for COVID 19 to stay on the list and get a transplant?

[kristina]

Hello CW, welcome back and I am glad to "see" you again... and ... I have not heard of a Covid 19 vaccination and don't know what it means? How many Covid-vaccinations have you had so far? Why were you told you needed to be vaccinated with Covid 19 in order to stay on the transplant-waiting-list? It sounds very strange to me. I had - so far - "my" three Covid-vaccinations (mind you, there was, to my kinowledge no Covid 19) and have not had an invitation for another Covid-vaccination, despite the fact that I already have had "my" kidney transplant...

 I wish you the best of luck to find an answer and I also wish you the best of luck on the transplant-waiting-list from Kristina.

[MooseMom]

Kristina, here in the US, most (if not all) transplant programs require, as part of a pre-transplant workup, a full set of vaccinations against certain common illnesses, now including Covid.  Most people have already had those vaccinations before they started school.  The reason for this requirement is that during transplant surgery, the patient is given massive amounts of immunosuppression, making a newly transplanted patient particularly vulnerable to infection of all sorts.  With Covid so contagious and potentially life threatening to someone who is so immunosuppressed, most transplant physicians feel like it would be unethical to severely immunosuppress a patient and then release them into the outside world without protection.

We all know that the various Covid vaccinations simply did not work for those of us on mycophenolate, so if you can get a Covid vax before your transplant, then you will be much better protected than if you get it after transplant when you are immunosuppressed.

There have been stories in the US media of people who have refused a transplant and have opted to stay on dialysis because they objected to the Covid vaccine.  On the one hand, the patient felt he should have the right to refuse, and on the other hand, his transplant team did not want to put him at greater risk of developing serious illness from Covid. 

There are not a lot of cases of this happening, but when it does, it makes the news.

https://www.newsweek.com/man-says-hed-rather-die-kidney-failure-get-vaccine-1674091

[iolaire]

I have recently seen a few stories where people who refuse to vaccinate have successfully fought the rules.
https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/unvaccinated-baby-approved-heart-transplant-bioethicist
https://www.newswire.com/news/we-the-patriots-usa-announces-victory-for-alisa-campau-girl-denied-21765696?fbclid=IwAR3ih_YI2uCNqSwS0fOXYAjqXArlNxYBpfV1hPV653D3pKi6mgYMCGl0YKc#sq_h40ihvpjnr

[kristina]

Many thanks for your kind answers, MooseMom and iolaire, it is very much appreciated. I have not yet had an invitation for another vaccination apart from the three one's I already have had. But nevertheless, I still continue to be very careful, continue to wear my face-mask and take all possible precautions etc. and hope for the best ... But, I feel I really ought to mention, that it has been and still is very disheartening and very confusing for vulnerable kidney-transplant-patients like myself to observe, that whilst I am taking every possible precaution in order to protect myself, including staying at home and only going out (with face-mask etc) if it is absolutely necessary, when our (former) Prime Minister Boris Johnson "and friends" celebrated drinking-parties without wearing any face-masks or taking any precautions whatsoever etc.? This has made me wonder ever since ...  because, after all, people like a Prime Minister "and friends" do know so much more about what is going on, don't they? So, why were they celebrating parties without bothering about taking any Covid-precautions? I still feel very confused about this logical inconsistency and continuous contradiction ...    ?

[MooseMom]

As far as Partygate goes, well, Boris Johnson has paid the price for that, hasn't he.  His cabinet members and fellow Tory MPs think just like you do, Kristina, and they've pretty much kicked him out.

Those of us who are particularly vulnerable to Covid can't afford to take our "cues" from our leaders unless they, too, happen to be kidney transplant recipients.  While it is indeed galling that these people were having parties while The Queen had to be alone, masked, while attending her husband's funeral (that was such a very sad sight), the fact remains that we cannot let the stupidity of others to influence what we do for ourselves to keep ourselves safe.

It is unfortunate that both in the US and in the UK, governments and citizens have decided that Covid is no longer a public health issue, rather, it is now a matter of "personal choice".  It's everyone for themselves, sadly.

No, I don't think the PM and his "friends" know so very much more about what is going on regarding Covid.  If they did but still chose to go to parties, that should not affect what we do to protect ourselves.  The PM just didn't think the rules applied to him.  But remember, he got very ill with Covid.  We can't afford to risk that.  Why did they party without wearing asks?  Because they thought they were special, above the law, so arrogant that they siimply didn't care.  It's not a matter of logiic, rather, it is a matter of hubris.

[kristina]

Many thanks MooseMom for your kind reply, it is very much appreciated, especially in these confusing times ... You are right,  our former PM Boris Johnson paid the price and is no longer wanted as a PM and "his friends" are not to be spotted either, but mind you, I doubt that he is willing to "go quietly"...
It is indeed unfortunate that important Covid-protection has deteriorated to become a "personal choice" and sadly it also has become "everyone for themselves" and the former PM thought that everyone's rules did not apply to him and "his friends" because they are much more "special" than any other people and superior to everyone else as well ...
... In any case I shall continue with my precautions, wear my face mask and continue to take great care and I send you again my thanks and best wishes for you to also keep as healthy as is possible and I send you my kind regards from Kristina.