True, death rates are falling, in a large part due to widespread vaccination. And I totally get where you are coming from on this. There does seem to be an injustice at least superficially when someone dies because they have refused a particular medical treatment, when bodily autonomy and right to consent to treatment are key principles of medical care. However as others have said, transplant programs do have other requirements to get an organ to ensure the success of the transplant, survival of the organ and the patient. Some of those requirements are no abuse of alcohol, no active drug abuse, willingness and ability to take anti rejection meds, not smoking (if you are getting a lung transplant) to name a few. Because every organ lost, whether it be through rejection or death of a patient, means someone else dies on the wait list (who may have lived had they had a chance at the transplant), these things are taken seriously and factors that significantly decrease the likelihood of success are often non negotiable even if it seems unfair.Well COVID effects/deaths are decreasing (as per your article) and I guess medically they haven’t decreased enough. Don’t get me wrong, I get that COVID is an issue, I just believe(d), maybe naively, that it was closer akin to the flu now that the pandemic is over and therefore should be optional for transplant just as the flu shot is. Everything is going “recommended” over “mandatory” and I guess COVID is not there yet????? In this regard????
I’m a woman, this man does so young, it pulls at my heart and I don’t fall into the political realm of this fight so my agreements/opinions are usually different. If that makes sense.