Unvaccinated man denied a heart transplant by hospital in Boston

A Boston hospital has denied a man a heart transplant, with a factor in the decision being that he is not vaccinated against Covid-19.

DJ Ferguson, 31, is in desperate need of a heart transplant, but Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston took him off their list, said his father, David.

The hospital says the decision comes as it is following policy.

Brigham and Women's Hospital told the BBC in a statement: "Given the shortage of available organs, we do everything we can to ensure that a patient who receives a transplanted organ has the greatest chance of survival."

A spokesperson says the hospital requires "the Covid-19 vaccine, and lifestyle behaviours for transplant candidates to create both the best chance for a successful operation and to optimise the patient's survival after transplantation, given that their immune system is drastically suppressed".

The hospital's statement suggests other factors are at play other than the lack of a Covid-19 vaccine.

The Boston-based hospital also added that 100,000 patients waiting for organ transplants will not be receiving organs in the next five years, due to a shortage.

According to GoFundMe, Mr Ferguson has been in hospital since last Thanksgiving weekend, November 26, due to a hereditary heart issue that causes his lungs to fill with blood and fluid.

The organiser of the fundraiser says Mr Ferguson was concerned about potentially experiencing cardiac inflammation, a potential side effect from the vaccine that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) insist is rare and temporary.

The CDC also encourage transplant recipients and those in their immediate circles to get vaccinated and boosted.

His father has praised his son's "courage and integrity" as he battles the condition.

"My boy is fighting pretty damn courageously and he has integrity and principles he really believes in and that makes me respect him all the more," said David Ferguson.

"It's his body. It's his choice".