A 12-year-old Chinese American girl in Indiana, who was adopted from China at age four, has been denied placement on the heart transplant list at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital because her family refuses to comply with the hospital’s vaccination policy, according to Local 12. The hospital mandates flu and COVID-19 vaccines for patients before they are placed on the transplant waiting list, a policy supported by the American Society of Transplant Surgeons to reduce infection risks post-surgery.
Adaline Deal, who was diagnosed with congenital heart conditions, has been a patient at the hospital for nearly a decade. Her mother, Jeneen Deal, told The Independent that the hospital informed them in January that Adaline would not be eligible for a transplant unless she was vaccinated. “I was like, ‘You would let her die if I refuse?’ That’s their policy,” she said.
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital defended its decision, stating that “because children who receive a transplant will be immunosuppressed for the rest of their life, vaccines play a critical role in preventing or reducing the risk of life-threatening infections, especially in the first year.”
Adaline’s mother, Jeneen Deal, is a relative of Vice President J.D. Vance, according to The Independent.
The Deal family, citing religious beliefs and concerns about vaccine safety, is now exploring other transplant centers. The nearest hospital without such a vaccine requirement is in Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, they have launched a GoFundMe campaign, raising over $64,000 of their $100,000 goal to cover potential relocation and medical costs.
The case has fueled debate over medical ethics, personal choice, and healthcare policies. Ohio State Representative Jennifer Gross has announced plans to introduce legislation banning hospitals from denying care based on vaccination status. While federal agencies such as the Health Resources and Services Administration and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services oversee transplant lists, they have left vaccine policies up to individual hospitals.
As the controversy grows, the hospital has stated it continues to evaluate transplant candidates based on medical necessity and risks, reinforcing that patient safety remains the priority.
AsAmNews is published by the non-profit, Asian American Media Inc.
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