UW Health says people who want an organ transplant must get COVID-19 vaccine

Hospitals in Wisconsin and across the country have implemented COVID-19 vaccine mandates for their staff. Now, UW Health Hospitals is requiring some patients to be protected against the disease as well.

On Thursday, UW Health joined a growing list of hospitals which are requiring organ transplant recipients to be vaccinated against COVID-19. That includes those who wish to be put on a waitlist.

The policy takes effect Nov. 15. Transplant candidates who are currently active on the UW Health Transplant Center waiting list will have 30 days to receive their first dose of vaccine and another 30 days to obtain the second dose.

Patients who are too ill to wait for the completion of the vaccination process can still get a transplant — but will have to get a shot to protect against the disease after surgery. The exception also requires these patients to acknowledge the increased chance of COVID-19 complications for transplant patients.

Such patients are at greater risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19 due to the anti-rejection drugs needed after surgery. One study says this makes them a “priority” for immunizations against the disease which caused a decrease in transplant activity during the first wave of the pandemic.

The American Liver Foundation and the National Kidney Foundation have both called for access to the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shots for organ recipients, citing their immunocompromised health status.