Boston Hospital Denies Unvaccinated Man Heart Transplant

BOSTON — A 31-year-old father of two from Massachusetts has been removed from the heart transplant list at a Boston hospital because he will not get the COVID-19 vaccine, his family said.

DJ Ferguson, 31, needs a new heart but opted not to get vaccinated because of concerns over rare side effects, according to his parents, and now he is fighting for his life at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Brigham and Women's Hospital said it requires transplant patients to have multiple vaccines, which now include the COVID-19 vaccine.

"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," the hospital said.

David Ferguson said his son was told by Brigham and Women's he would need to receive the vaccine to be eligible for the transplant, but told CBS Boston that his son won't do it, as he "has gone to the edge of death to stick to his guns and he's been pushed to the limit."

Ferguson's mother, Tracey, said her son suffers from an irregular heartbeat, adding that his condition started to decline around Thanksgiving weekend and he continues to fight off a life-threatening blood clot, NECN reported.

Ferguson has two children and is expecting a third with his partner, Heather, according to a GoFundMe page set up for him.

"After running countless tests and scans we learned that DJ is now in severe end-stage heart failure, meaning that he is going to need a heart transplant to live," Amanda Brodeur, organizer of Ferguson's GoFundMe, said Tuesday.

Ferguson's mother said her son's medical team assured him it would be OK to get the vaccine, but his heart conditions have made him wary.

"He's had intermittent heart issues, so that's why he's always informed himself against vaccines. He also knew that, traditionally, vaccines took years to be approved," Ferguson's mother told WCVB.

Ferguson's family stands by his decision, his wife posting his GoFundMe page to her Facebook before removing it Tuesday.

"There's so much division in the country," Ferguson's mother told WCVB. "We just need more love and compassion."