[lisa-stackhouse]

I absolutely agree 100% with Patti Rowland.  I had my double lung transplant 6 yrs ago.

There are a range of other vaccinations you must have or be up-to-date with to be listed for solid organ transplant.  COVID vaccine is no different.  Solid organ transplant evaluation has a comprehensive list of tests that need to be administrated and passed, especially for the lungs.

The person being considered for transplant must have the value of responsible stewardship of a donated solid organ.  Every day I give thanks to my selfless donor (Jasmine) and her family for giving me a second chance in life.  Now that my chest cavity has Jasmine’s precious lungs, I try to honor her everyday by doing all I can to protect them.

If a person needing a transplant is not willing to get the COVID vaccine they are already showing signs of being non-compliant.  Compliancy being post-transplant is critical, especially when it comes to lungs.  Lungs have the lowest survival rate of all organs.  In addition, they are under constant threat because you are constantly breathing in air of all sorts.

Chances of infections are higher for all transplant patients because our immune system is suppressed to our body will not attack our new organ.

Why should a noncompliant patient (COVID unvaccinated) be put on the transplant list and sit next to a compliant (vaccinated) transplant patient?  Science and research need to be trusted and respected!!  As people living with CF, we understand compliancy and all that science and research has helped to improve our lives and live healthier.

GET THE VACCINE, people! Help us immune compromised people start to try to live a more normal life.  It has been a long 23 months!

In this paper there is also a strong recommendation for the primary caregivers and/or caregivers to be required to get to be fully vaccinated for COVID: Requiring vaccination against COVID-19 of the patient’s primary support person and eligible members of the recipient’s household is consistent with current requirements of those roles.

https://www.jhltonline.org/article/S1053-2498(21)02539-0/fulltext

[lisa-stackhouse]

Yes, however, I started using them after my transplant.  The transplant hospital gave me one to go home with.  I have two pill organizers so I can fill two weeks’ worth at a time.  They are so worth it and makes taking your daily pills so much easier. 🙂