A Melbourne mum being denied a lifesaving transplant underneath a “no jab, no heart” coverage has accused the hospital of “ideological” discrimination for refusing the Covid vaccine.
Vicki Derderian, 47, has been on mechanical life assist since 2020 after her coronary heart failed and is determined for a transplant, however The Alfred Hospital deemed her ineligible to be positioned on the organ donor ready listing as a result of she shouldn’t be vaccinated towards Covid.
“I think it’s a form of punishment,” she stated.
“They’re set in their ways — basically it’s ‘no jab, no heart’. There is no long-term study on the efficacy of vaccines on pre- and post-transplant patients. I have a legal exemption from ATAGI which they are refusing to acknowledge.”
Despite widespread public consideration on her case, Alfred Health is refusing to budge, providing solely to fulfill with Ms Derderian to debate her “vaccination concerns”.
The mother-of-two suffers from a uncommon auto-immune dysfunction known as sarcoidosis and is worried concerning the danger of coronary heart circumstances akin to myocarditis or pericarditis related to the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines.
Myocarditis, irritation of the guts, is a identified however uncommon facet impact of the mRNA vaccines, reported in round two out of each 100,000 individuals however extra generally amongst boys and younger males.
Ms Derderian is difficult Alfred Health’s choice within the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), alleging discrimination underneath the Equal Opportunity Act 2010.
The case was heard over 4 days between October and March, with closing submissions on Tuesday this week.
Advocate Serene Teffaha, who’s representing Ms Derderian, stated through the proceedings she requested Alfred Health’s representatives in the event that they have been “aware of deaths and serious adverse events” from the vaccines however was informed they “haven’t observed” something.
But in March final 12 months, Deakin University scholar Natalie Boyce, 21, died at The Alfred from coronary heart problems, 5 weeks after receiving the Moderna booster shot.
Ms Boyce was the 14th dying formally recognised by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) as being linked to Covid vaccines — and the one one Australia’s medicines regulator has linked to both of the mRNA pictures.
Ms Teffaha stated although it occurred “on their own turf”, the “tragic death was neither revealed nor mentioned” by Alfred Health and he or she solely later examine it within the media.
“They did not appear to acknowledge that serious adverse events and deaths were a real problem and that it happened at their own hospital,” she stated.
“There is a glaring irony in asking someone who’s starting off with a serious heart condition to take a vaccine that has a risk of creating a serious heart condition. It’s logically unbelievable.”
In her closing submission, Ms Teffaha argued that the Covid vaccination requirement was discriminatory because it didn’t apply equally to all sufferers, akin to these receiving chemotherapy or bone marrow transplants, “despite the fact that some of those patients will be placed on immunosuppressive therapies”.
During the proceedings, Alfred Health deputy director and head of echocardiography Dr Angeline Leet was requested the explanation for distinguishing between vaccinating coronary heart transplant sufferers and others who require immunosuppression.
“The reason is because after heart transplantation the body’s ability to form an immune response to the Covid-19 pathogen is reduced, and because we have seen poorer outcomes in these patients who develop Covid-19 after heart transplantation it is important that everything possible that can be done to reduce the severity of the illness post heart transplant should be done in preparation for that,” she stated.
Asked whether or not the identical can be true for sufferers present process chemotherapy, Dr Leet replied that was “outside of my area of expertise”.
Ms Teffaha argued there was an “ideological reason” behind the vaccination requirement.
“Does the expectation on the applicant to ‘treasure’ the heart and the respondent’s ‘stewardship’ of the donor heart also extend to the numerous risk factors associated with heart disease post-transplant, including demands on the applicant to control her diet, refrain from private activity such as drinking or smoking or eating fast foods or the level of exercise she undertakes?” she stated in her submission.
“Confining this ‘stewardship’ to the vaccination issue alone supports the applicant’s contention that the requirement is ideologically justified as an isolated demand on the small group of patients presenting with the protected attribute.”
In a letter to Liberal Senator Gerard Rennick final month, Alfred Health appearing chief government Simone Alexander stated the matter was “complex and emotive not only for Ms Derderian and her family, but also for other patients and their loved ones undergoing organ transplantation”.
“Clinical treatment options for patients waiting to receive specialised treatment, such as a heart transplants, carry significant risk for post-transplant complications,” she wrote.
“To ensure a uniform approach and the best possible outcomes for patients, the vaccination guidance for potential organ transplant recipients, is set through the Transplantation Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) and the Australian Immunisation Handbook.”
Ms Alexander stated Alfred Health was “continuing to work through treatment options with Ms Derderian and her family”, which included “further opportunities to meet with our infectious diseases team to discuss treatment options and her vaccination concerns”.
The TSANZ scientific pointers listing “noncompliance with recommended pre-transplantation vaccinations” underneath “exclusion criteria”.
“The seroconversion rate after vaccinations is significantly higher in the non-immunosuppressed population compared to vaccination in immunosuppressed solid organ transplant recipients,” the rules state.
“It is therefore critical that potential transplant recipients are vaccinated before transplantation, to enable them to develop adequate immune responses to the pathogen. Rates of Covid-19 infection, severity of illness and mortality rates have been reported to be lower in the fully vaccinated transplant recipients, compared to non or partially vaccinated recipients.”
Ms Derderian, who wears the ventricular help system always, stated it was a “life and death situation”.
“I don’t know how long this machine will sustain me,” she stated.
“I don’t really have quality of life in terms of what I can do. I’m carrying 5kg on my back, all day every day. I can’t do anything quickly, I get dizzy. A 1km walk is the most I can manage, also because of my shoulders I’m in so much pain all the time. I’m prone to infection, I need assistance showering. I need to change the batteries every 17 hours, I have to carry spare ones with me in case they break down. I need electricity at all times. It’s like I’m a bionic woman.”
She added, “A heart transplant is the only way for me to have a normal life.”
In a press release, an Alfred Health spokesman stated the hospital “always provides the best possible patient care that is supported by current clinical evidence and practice”.
“While Ms Derderian remains a patient of The Alfred, she is not a current inpatient,” he stated.
“We respect patients’ rights to privacy and are careful about commenting on individual patient circumstances. Transplantation is a complex medical procedure, and detailed guidelines for Australia and New Zealand ensure a uniform approach to determining a person’s suitability for organ transplantation.”
He added that whereas adherence to vaccination schedules was “one consideration for identifying a transplant candidate”, there have been “also a range of other medical factors that ultimately determine whether a patient can be placed on a transplant waiting list”.
frank.chung@news.com.au
Originally revealed as ‘Life and death situation’: Unvaccinated mum challenges hospital’s ‘no jab, no heart’ coverage
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
