UVA Hospital Admits COVID Vaccine Not Required For Kidney Transplant After Telling Patient It Was Required

Warburton listed “Major issues and/or need for further testing,” which include (emphasis added): “Refusal to get Covid-19 vaccine. We discussed at length that this is requirement for active listing.” Warburton then quoted Connors as saying: “I would rather die than have an mRNA vaccine. I can show you hundreds of reports of why this vaccine is killing people.”

Warburton stated: “Overall, Mr. Connors was somewhat difficult to converse with on the phone. His stance on the Covid-19 vaccine is concerning. He demonstrated hostility and a very closed approach to discussion around this issue. He at first cited concerns based on his research of the science, then tried to claim a religious exemption. He also seemed to have little understanding of his own health/medical history, telling me to “look it up” when I had questions. I would want to explore his candidacy from a psychosocial standpoint with our Transplant Social Work team (and remaining members of our team) before we activate him on the list, even if/when he is medically ready.” Here is audio of Warburton telling Connors that “We are requiring it,” referring to the Coronavirus vaccine.

But Warburton falsely told Connors that the vaccine is a “requirement,” as documents prove. Republican U.S. Congressman Rob Wittman of Virginia wrote to the UVA Health system on Shamgar Connors’ behalf, and Wittman was able to get a response that has been obtained by NATIONAL FILE. A UVA Health federal relations official named L. Boyle wrote to Congressman Wittman and stated the following (emphasis added): “Although the UVA Transplant Center does not have a policy mandating COVID-19 vaccination for patients to be eligible for a transplant, it has recently updated its evaluation criteria to address COVID-19 vaccination status as part of the individualized assessment we complete with respect to each transplant candidate. Such approach is in alignment with recommendations from the American Society of Transplantation, American Society of Transplant Surgeons and International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, and with research that has demonstrated that transplant recipients are at a much higher risk of dying from COVID-19 when compared to non-transplant patients. UVA encourages COVID-19 vaccination for its transplant candidates, as it does for all patients seeking care at UVA Health. As the pandemic continues, UVA Health will continue to evaluate alternative treatments and therapies for all of our patients, including those in need of a transplant, to assess the COVID-19 positivity rate in the community to ensure our patients are receiving the care that they need.”

In response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, the University of Virginia Freedom of Information Act Officer wrote (emphasis added): “The UVA Transplant Center does not have a policy mandating COVID-19 vaccination for patients on the waitlist. Nevertheless, research has demonstrated that transplant recipients are at a much higher risk of dying from COVID-19 when compared to non-transplant patients and, therefore, UVA encourages COVID-19 vaccination for its transplant candidates, as it does for all patients seeking care at UVA Health. This guidance is in alignment with recommendations from the American Society of Transplantation, American Society of Transplant Surgeons and International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. UVA Health has been working on updates to its existing transplant evaluation criteria, including that which relates to kidney transplant, for over a year, including updating evaluation criteria to address COVID-19 vaccination status as part of the individualized assessment we complete with respect to each transplant candidate.”