{"id":145432,"date":"2022-01-25T15:18:18","date_gmt":"2022-01-25T19:18:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=145432"},"modified":"2022-01-25T15:18:18","modified_gmt":"2022-01-25T19:18:18","slug":"dying-father-removed-from-heart-transplant-list-for-being-unvaccinated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/dying-father-removed-from-heart-transplant-list-for-being-unvaccinated\/","title":{"rendered":"Dying father removed from heart transplant list for being unvaccinated"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"antig-3061439484\" class=\"antig-ecab antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div><div id=\"antig-2843522149\" class=\"antig-before-content antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/medicalbenefitsscheme\" aria-label=\"PHOTO-2026-04-07-10-45-56\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1200\/h:400\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PHOTO-2026-04-07-10-45-56.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1200\/h:400\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PHOTO-2026-04-07-10-45-56.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PHOTO-2026-04-07-10-45-56.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:341\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PHOTO-2026-04-07-10-45-56.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PHOTO-2026-04-07-10-45-56.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1200\" height=\"400\"   \/><\/a><\/div><p>A 31-year-old father has been removed from the heart transplant list at a Boston hospital because he is refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, his family said.<\/p><div id=\"antig-1934397053\" class=\"antig-content_5 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ablpag\" aria-label=\"ABLP_2026_Launch_English_Digital-BB\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English_Digital-BB-1.png\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English_Digital-BB-1.png 2160w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:150\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English_Digital-BB-1.png 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:512\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English_Digital-BB-1.png 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:384\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English_Digital-BB-1.png 768w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1536\/h:768\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English_Digital-BB-1.png 1536w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English_Digital-BB-1.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"2160\" height=\"1080\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>DJ Ferguson was first on the list to receive the transplant at Brigham and Women\u2019s Hospital \u2014 but he is no longer eligible because of his vaccination status, CBS Boston reported.<\/p>\n<div id=\"antig-314201683\" class=\"antig-inside-article-content\"><\/div>\n<p>His father, David Ferguson, said his son \u2014 who is fighting for his life in the hospital and is in desperate need of the transplant \u2014 doesn\u2019t believe in the COVID-19 vaccine.<\/p><div id=\"antig-501656032\" class=\"antig-content_4 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div><div id=\"antig-118342030\" class=\"antig-content_12 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ablpag\" aria-label=\"ABLP_2026_Launch_English-_lineup_Digital-BB (1)\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English-_lineup_Digital-BB-1.png\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English-_lineup_Digital-BB-1.png 2160w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:150\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English-_lineup_Digital-BB-1.png 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:512\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English-_lineup_Digital-BB-1.png 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:384\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English-_lineup_Digital-BB-1.png 768w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1536\/h:768\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English-_lineup_Digital-BB-1.png 1536w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1920\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ABLP_2026_Launch_English-_lineup_Digital-BB-1.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"2160\" height=\"1080\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s kind of against his basic principles, he doesn\u2019t believe in it. It\u2019s a policy they are enforcing and so because he won\u2019t get the shot, they took him off the list of a heart transplant,\u201d David told the outlet.<\/p><div id=\"antig-253338968\" class=\"antig-content antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ReggaeInTheParkAntigua\" aria-label=\"lucanio\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:864\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg 1080w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:240\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg 240w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:819\/h:1024\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg 819w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:960\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/lucanio.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1350\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div id=\"antig-2085892511\" class=\"antig-content\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"antig-1163842050\" class=\"antig-before-youtube-ads socialMedia\"><\/div>\n<p>\u201cMy son has gone to the edge of death to stick to his guns and he\u2019s been pushed to the limit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ferguson has two children and is expecting a third with his partner Heather, according to a GoFundMe page set up for him.<\/p><div id=\"antig-2826771338\" class=\"antig-content_2 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courts.com\/antigua\/\" aria-label=\"500X500 (1)\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:500\/h:500\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/500X500-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:500\/h:500\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/500X500-1.jpg 500w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/500X500-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:150\/h:150\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/500X500-1.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div id=\"antig-1334996897\" class=\"antig-content_2\"><\/div>\n<p>Brigham and Women\u2019s Hospital, which is a Harvard teaching facility, said its policy requiring recipients to have the COVID-19 shot is in line with many other transplant programs across the US.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe COVID-19 vaccine is one of several vaccines and lifestyle behaviors required for transplant candidates in the Mass General Brigham system in order to create both the best chance for a successful operation and also the patient\u2019s survival after transplantation,\u201d the hospital said in a statement.<\/p><div id=\"antig-3683207674\" class=\"antig-content_3 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.antiguabarbudaculinarymonth.com\/\" aria-label=\"CM key_WEB 1300x300_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1301\/h:301\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/CM-key_WEB-1300x300_1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1301\/h:301\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/CM-key_WEB-1300x300_1.jpg 1301w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:69\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/CM-key_WEB-1300x300_1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:237\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/CM-key_WEB-1300x300_1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:178\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/CM-key_WEB-1300x300_1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1301\" height=\"301\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends that immunocompromised people, which includes organ transplant recipients, be vaccinated because they are especially vulnerable to COVID.<\/p><div id=\"antig-731127465\" class=\"antig-content_6 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverflow.co\/web\/antigua\" aria-label=\"ANU CVP Digital Broadband 1200x400_1\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1201\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:100\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:342\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:256\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ANU-CVP-Digital-Broadband-1200x400_1-1.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1201\" height=\"401\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>Ferguson\u2019s family are thinking about relocating him to another hospital that doesn\u2019t have the vaccination policy \u2014 but fear he is already too weak to be moved.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are aggressively pursuing all options, but we are running out of time,\u201d David said.<\/p>\n<p>The family said the care he\u2019s received so far at Brigham and Women\u2019s Hospital has been great \u2014 but his relatives can\u2019t ignore Ferguson\u2019s beliefs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think my boy is fighting pretty damn courageously and he has integrity and principles he really believes in and that makes me respect him all the more,\u201d David said. \u201cIt\u2019s his body. It\u2019s his choice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ferguson has been hospitalized since November ever since his lungs started filling with blood and fluid due to a hereditary heart issue, the GoFundMe page said.<\/p>\n<p>The fundraiser said that his resistance to the vaccine also has to do with his fears of heart inflammation, which health officials have said in rare cases have been associated with the shots.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut in DJs case he can NOT afford for his heart to swell any more than it already is right now. He is at extremely high risk of sudden death if it does,\u201d the page said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have had many conversations with the doctors, who confirmed that his heart COULD swell and go into severe crisis but they can\u2019t guarantee anything and it\u2019s a choice we will have to make if he wants to be listed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-59579 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/antiguabreakingnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/boston-heart-patient-covid-vaccine-11.jpeg\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/antiguabreakingnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/boston-heart-patient-covid-vaccine-11.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/antiguabreakingnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/boston-heart-patient-covid-vaccine-11-225x300.jpeg 225w\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Both Ferguson and his partner Heather, who are self-employed, have been unable to work since he was admitted, according to the site.<\/p>\n<p>It wasn\u2019t immediately clear what Ferguson did for a living, but the site said his \u201cjob requires much physical labor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ferguson isn\u2019t the first patient to be denied a transplant due to his vaccination status.<\/p>\n<p>Colorado woman Leilani Lutali was removed from the kidney transplant list in October because she \u2014 and her donor \u2014 hadn\u2019t been vaccinated.<\/p>\n<p>UCHealth, which operates hospitals and urgent care facilities throughout Colorado, said the COVID vaccine was one of several measures patients needed to take to give the organ the best chance of not being rejected.<\/p>\n<p>The health system said the driving force behind its vaccine policy was studies showing transplant patients are more likely to die if they contract COVID-19. The mortality rate for transplant patients who get COVID is more than 20 percent, according to UCHealth.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-59578 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/antiguabreakingnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/boston-heart-patient-covid-vaccine-07-copy.jpg\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/antiguabreakingnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/boston-heart-patient-covid-vaccine-07-copy.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/antiguabreakingnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/boston-heart-patient-covid-vaccine-07-copy-300x141.jpg 300w, https:\/\/antiguabreakingnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/boston-heart-patient-covid-vaccine-07-copy-1024x483.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/antiguabreakingnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/boston-heart-patient-covid-vaccine-07-copy-768x362.jpg 768w, https:\/\/antiguabreakingnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/boston-heart-patient-covid-vaccine-07-copy-1536x724.jpg 1536w\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"943\" \/><\/p>\n<p>\u201cAn organ transplant is a unique surgery that leads to a lifetime of specialized management to ensure an organ is not rejected, which can lead to serious complications, the need for a subsequent transplant surgery, or even death,\u201d UCHealth told The Post at the time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPhysicians must consider the short- and long-term health risks for patients as they consider whether to recommend an organ transplant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ohio man Mike Ganin, who is vaccinated against COVID, was denied a kidney transplant last October because his donor hadn\u2019t received her shot.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t want to get the vaccine. I\u2019ve got reasons \u2014 medical, religious, and also freedom,\u201d the donor, Sue George, told WKYC.<\/p>\n<div id=\"antig-2766874193\" class=\"antig-in-comments_2 antig-entity-placement\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/@hadeedmotorsltd\" aria-label=\"Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2\"><img src=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1000\/h:250\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1000\/h:250\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 1000w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:300\/h:75\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 300w, https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:768\/h:192\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Hadeed_WEB_Banner_MG-2.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" width=\"1000\" height=\"250\"   \/><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A 31-year-old father has been removed from the heart transplant list at a Boston hospital because he is refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, his family said. DJ Ferguson was first on the list to receive the transplant at Brigham and Women\u2019s Hospital \u2014 but he is no longer eligible because of his vaccination status, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":145434,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-145432","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-regional"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.1 (Yoast SEO v24.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Dying father removed from heart transplant list for being unvaccinated - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/dying-father-removed-from-heart-transplant-list-for-being-unvaccinated\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dying father removed from heart transplant list for being unvaccinated\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A 31-year-old father has been removed from the heart transplant list at a Boston hospital because he is refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, his family said. DJ Ferguson was first on the list to receive the transplant at Brigham and Women\u2019s Hospital \u2014 but he is no longer eligible because of his vaccination status, [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/dying-father-removed-from-heart-transplant-list-for-being-unvaccinated\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Antigua News Room\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-01-25T19:18:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1024\/h:682\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/dying.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"682\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Editor\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@AntiguaNewsRoom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@AntiguaNewsRoom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Editor\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/dying-father-removed-from-heart-transplant-list-for-being-unvaccinated\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/dying-father-removed-from-heart-transplant-list-for-being-unvaccinated\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Editor\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/36cac05ef6398fe56ae3e6317f8535c5\"},\"headline\":\"Dying father removed from heart transplant list for being unvaccinated\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-01-25T19:18:18+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-01-25T19:18:18+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/dying-father-removed-from-heart-transplant-list-for-being-unvaccinated\/\"},\"wordCount\":806,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/dying-father-removed-from-heart-transplant-list-for-being-unvaccinated\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1620\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/dying.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Regional\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/dying-father-removed-from-heart-transplant-list-for-being-unvaccinated\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/dying-father-removed-from-heart-transplant-list-for-being-unvaccinated\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/dying-father-removed-from-heart-transplant-list-for-being-unvaccinated\/\",\"name\":\"Dying father removed from heart transplant list for being unvaccinated - 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