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UCHealth, Colorado's healthcare system, is being criticized for a policy that will limit organ transplants to those who have been vaccinated for COVID-19.
The new rules were criticized by Colorado State Representative Tim Geitner. He said that a woman who was not vaccinated reached out to him after she was told she wouldn't be able to receive a kidney transplant if she didn't get vaccinated within 30 day. The Washington Post reports. UCHealth claims it made the decision that its organs would be given to those most likely to survive. This is a tricky territory where healthcare providers must decide who gets life-saving care, depending on whether they have been politically charged with vaccinations.
WaPo could not verify the story of the woman, but UCHealth told the publication that it had adopted the policy in almost all cases. It also stated that similar policies are becoming more common at hospitals and other healthcare providers across the country.
Despite being controversial due to the intense politicization of COVID vaccinations and vaccination status, this policy is not uncommon. WaPo points out that it is common for organ donors to be subject to a lengthy list of conditions. This often includes receiving multiple vaccinations.
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UCHealth spokesperson Dan Weaver stated that COVID can be particularly fatal for kidney transplant recipients. It has a mortality rate of between 20-30 percent. In simple terms, it is important to ensure precious organs can be saved by limiting the number of patients who have been vaccinated.
A lifetime of specialized management is required to ensure that an organ transplant does not become a failure. This can cause serious complications, need for further transplant surgery or even death. When deciding whether to recommend organ transplantation, doctors must take into account the long-term and short-term health risks of patients.
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