Why an unvaccinated man was denied heart transplant in US - and UK rules explained

An American hospital has rejected a patient for a heart transplant due to him not being vaccinated against Covid-19, his family has said.

But why is this the case and how does it work in the UK?

Here’s what you need to know.

DJ Ferguson, 31, suffers from a hereditary heart issue and was first taken to hospital on Thanksgiving weekend in November 2021 with suspected pneumonia.

The father-of-two, who has another child on the way, has spent almost 50 days in hospital, and is now in end-stage heart failure and needs a transplant to survive.

However, Brigham and Women’s Hospital policy states he is no longer eligible because he hasn’t received a Covid vaccination - something which his family said he refuses to do.

On a GoFundMe charity fundraising page his family said: "The transplant board will not actively list him due to his vaccination status.”

His family is concerned that the vaccine could cause his heart to swell, and put him at "extremely high risk of sudden death".

They added: "We’re being pressured to choose a shot that could kill him. This is not just a political issue.”

"People need to have a choice! People need to realize that there ARE others out there that are at high risk while receiving this shot, and it COULD kill them."

His mother, Tracey Ferguson, said: "Brigham told us he has to have the vaccine to accept a heart.

"He is not an anti-vaxx person. He has all of his vaccines, but there are some adverse reactions given his condition, and he is a man, he made his decision."

His family has looked at transporting him to another hospital but said he is currently too sick to be moved.

Brigham and Women’s Hospital said it couldn’t comment on individual patients due to US laws.

The hospital said in a statement: "Our Mass General Brigham healthcare system requires several CDC-recommended vaccines, including the Covid-19 vaccine, and lifestyle behaviours for transplant candidates to create both the best chance for a successful operation and to optimize the patient’s survival after transplantation, given that their immune system is drastically suppressed.”

Dr Arthur Caplan, the head of medical ethics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, told CBS News the Covid vaccine was necessary for this kind of procedure.

He said: "Post any transplant, kidney, heart, whatever, your immune system is shut off.

"The flu could kill you, a cold could kill you, COVID could kill you. The organs are scarce, we are not going to distribute them to someone who has a poor chance of living when others who are vaccinated have a better chance post-surgery of surviving."

In the UK, transplant patients can still be operated on if they haven’t had the Covid vaccine.

The NHS Organ Donation page said: “You can receive a transplant whether you have had the Covid-19 vaccination or not, as long as you are eligible. Being on the active waiting-list for a transplant is dependent, not on vaccination status, but a range of clinical factors.

“When it comes to donation, you can also be an organ donor regardless of whether you have received the vaccine.

“We would always advise people to have the vaccination if possible, as it gives people the best chance of protection against the most severe consequences of Covid.

“As transplantation requires a patient to be immunosuppressed, in some cases it may be safer for some patients to hold off or wait for a transplant, rather than undergo the transplant if it will increase their risk of contracting or dying from Covid. The risks versus benefits of transplantation are always discussed in detail with the patient and kept under regular review.”