An Australian woman has allegedly been refused treatment after doctors found out her vaccination status. Now, she found herself in an unthinkable situation.
Back in 2020, Vicki Derderian, a mother of two, suffered severe heart failure and was kept alive by a Ventricular Assist Device. However, there is a snag, although she is now well enough to receive the much-needed transplant.
After she researched the potential side effects of the shot, Derderian refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine due to her precarious heart condition, the Australian news site Today reported.
“When it came to COVID-19, reading up on all the information, and also knowing about my condition, I wanted to minimize risk as much as possible – It’s very complicated, it has a lot of risks and to face those risks on top of an unknown risk from a vaccination that has had partial approval, I had to think twice and it’s a very hard decision,” she said.
But that does not seem to matter now, even Derderian’s heart condition made her eligible for an exemption from the vaccine. The COVID rules regarding transplants are causing patients like her to miss out on life-saving treatment, although Derderian said that while she respects her medical team.
‘No jab, no heart’:A Melbourne mum has been refused a heart transplant because she hasn’t been vaccinated against Covid-19 even though she has an exemption.
Vicki Derderian’s heart failed in 2020, forcing her to rely on a ventricular assist device (VAD) to keep her blood pumping. pic.twitter.com/M9XsF5Ckha— Eva Lopez (@911DiedSuddenly) February 13, 2023
She told Today that patients “shouldn’t be coerced into taking something they don’t believe in to get lifesaving treatment.” However, saying that “the biggest risk will be the hit to her immune system if she gets COVID-19 without having the vaccine,” medical expert and infectious disease specialist Dr. Nick Coatsworth disagreed.
The doctor stated, “Then there’s a really significant risk that you’ll die and that organ will die with you.”
“And we don’t want that to happen to you and we certainly don’t want it to happen to the family who’s made that sacred donation … it is such a complex area, I don’t envy your decision but I do stand by the rules the transplant physicians have made.”
Arguing that the risk of COVID was far more dangerous, he concluded by pleading with Derderian to just get the jab, and there would be no worries, “If I was in your position I’d receive the vaccine because I think it’s the safest thing to do, I know you don’t agree with me and I respect that decision but please, please reconsider.”
Derderian’s worries are well-founded, according to Yahoo News, as the vaccine has been connected to rare but serious cardiac disorders like myocarditis and pericarditis. Derderian spoke out against the Victoria Department of Health and Human Services, claiming that because of her individual choice, the medical community had left her out.
She said, “The hospital stance at the moment is no jab, no heart. I’m ready to be on the heart transplant list because medically I’m stable to be on it. But unfortunately, because of these mandates, it has interfered with patient-doctor relationships.”
Karl Stefanovic, the host of the show, rebuffed Coatsworth’s arguments during the interview on Today. Stefanovic asked, “So Nick, doctors are now deciding not to treat someone because of the chance of getting COVID-19 in a hospital, are we stopping treating people now?”
Coatsworth answered, “On the contrary, Karl … this is an active treatment decision by the medical community. This hasn’t changed during COVID-19.”
“I know there’s a lot of greys in Covid-19 Karl, a lot of greys. … This is black and white. Unfortunately, we have to try and convince people like Vicki … we’ve got to do our best to convince them. If we fail, ultimately, that means the organ isn’t transplanted.”
Sources: Flagandcross, Yahoo News, The Western Journal, Today