CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals, the two largest hospital systems in the Cleveland area, said Monday they will require transplant recipients and living donors to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

What You Need To Know

  • Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals are requiring organ donors and recipients to be vaccinated against COVID-19

  • The Cleveland Clinic says that organ recipients are particularly vulnerable from the virus

  • Nearly 106,000 Americans sit on a transplant list

  • Some in need of a transplant in other parts of the U.S. have reported being turned away due to their vaccination status

The Cleveland Clinic said to date, no one has been removed from a donor waiting list. 

The Cleveland Clinic said in a statement that requiring vaccinations against COVID-19 protects both the donor and recipient. 

“Living donation for organ transplantation has been a life-saving treatment, but it is not without risks to the donor,” the Cleveland Clinic said. “For the living donor, preventing COVID-19 infection around the time of their surgery and recovery is crucial. We continually strive to minimize risk to our living donors, and vaccination is an important component to ensure the safest approach and optimal outcomes for donors.”

The Cleveland Clinic said that transplants can weaken the recipient’s immune system, making it necessary to become vaccinated against COVID-19.

“Serious complications of COVID-19 are most likely to develop in those individuals who have weakened immune systems, as their body has a reduced ability to fight and recover from infections,” the Cleveland Clinic added. “The FDA-authorized vaccines have been determined to be safe and effective and are the best way to prevent severe illness and death from COVID-19.”

While the Cleveland Clinic is requiring vaccination against COVID-19 from both the recipient and donor for organ transplantation using a living donor, vaccinations will also be required for recipients receiving an organ from a deceased donor on Nov. 1.

University Hospitals said that COVID-19 vaccinations are important for the health of both the recipient and donor.

“In light of recent studies pointing to the risk solid organ recipients and living donors face if they contract COVID-19, the UH Transplant Institute will begin requiring COVID vaccinations for its patient population,” University Hospitals said. “ We are following policies in this area already put into place at several other Ohio and national systems, and recommended by national transplant associations.”

According to federal statistics, more than 106,000 Americans are on a waiting list for an organ, most awaiting a kidney transplant. 

The statements from the two major hospital chains come after reports surfaced last week that unvaccinated organ recipients were denied a transplant due to their vaccination status.