The family of a man who has been taken off the heart-transplant list as he refuses to get vaccinated say they are ‘aggressively pursuing all options’.
DJ Ferguson, 31, is currently fighting for his life at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, US, but has refused to get the vaccine as he ‘doesn’t believe in it’.
His family say the dad-of-two was ‘next in line to get a transplant’ but has now been told he is no longer eligible.
His dad David told CBS Boston his son is ‘sticking to his guns’.
He told the news outlet: “It’s kind of against his basic principles; he doesn’t believe in it.
"It’s a policy they are enforcing and so because he won’t get the shot, they took him off the list of a heart transplant.”
David went on to say the family is fighting the decision and even considering transferring him to another hospital, but are concerned he may be too weak to move.
“We are aggressively pursuing all options, but we are running out of time,” he said.
DJ's mother Tracey told Sky News: "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.
"He said to the doctor, 'Are you really going to let me die over a shot?'
"All of my children, they are all vaccinated, he did his own homework, and made his own decision."
In a statement, the hospital said the coronavirus vaccine is just one of several jabs patients are required to get before having a transplant to ensure the best chance of success.
The statement read: “Like many other transplant programs in the United States – the Covid-19 vaccine is one of several vaccines and lifestyle behaviors required for transplant candidates in the Mass General Brigham system in order to create both the best chance for a successful operation and also the patient’s survival after transplantation.”
Dr. Arthur Caplan, Head of Medical Ethics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, told CBS: “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.”
DJ’s family have praised the care he has received, but still say they don’t agree with the policy and support their son.
David added: “I think 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.”
Featured Image Credit: CBSTopics: US News, Coronavirus
Claire Reid