Aussie mum refused a life-saving heart transplant for not getting a Covid vaccine unleashes at Dan Andrews’ government for its ‘coercive’ jab mandate while the rest of the world moves on – before Dr Nick Coatsworth offers a surprising defence
- Mother refused important heart transplant
- Vicki Derderian refused to get Covid jab
A mum in need of a lifesaving heart transplant has lashed out at Daniel Andrews after she was told she would need to take the Covid vaccine if she wanted the surgery.
Melbourne-mother-of-two Vicki Derderian said on Monday she had been turned away by doctors because of vaccine mandates, which are enforced by the premier.
She said she was informed she would not be eligible for the operation because she had refused to get the Covid jab.
Dr Nick Coatsworth shared his sympathies with the mother but threw his support behind the surgeons saying there was a good reason patients needed the vaccine.
His comment comes as a surprise after the former deputy chief health officer previously slammed vaccine mandates in the workplace.
A mother has lashed out at Daniel Andrews after she was refused a heart transplant because she is not vaccinated against Covid
Melbourne mother-of-two Vicki Derderian took aim at the Victorian premier saying she had been unable to access the life saving surgery
‘The hospital stance at the moment is no jab, no heart,’ Ms Derderian told Channel Nine’s Today Show.
‘Because of these mandates, it has interfered with patient doctor relationships, patients like myself.
‘We’re being pushed in the corner and coerced to take something that goes against what we believe in, or not receive life saving treatment.’
Dr Nick Coatsworth labelled Ms Derderian a ‘strong woman’ after hearing her story but threw his support behind the surgeons.
‘From a transplant physician’s point of view, the biggest risk to you is when we hit your immune system like that, if you get Covid-19 without having the vaccine, then there is a significant risk that organ will die with you,’ he said.
‘And we don’t want that to happen to you, and we don’t want it to happen to the family who has made that sacred donation.’
Ms Derderian suffered from heart failure in 2020 before doctors inserted a ventricular assist device, a mechanical pump that circulates blood.
The mother-of-two spent one-and-a-half months in the intensive care unit following her surgery.
She said she was on life support because she couldn’t breathe before she was finally released from the unit.
Ms Derderian then spent another three months in hospital and rehabilitation.
Dr Nick Coatsworth shared his sympathies with the mother on the Today Show but threw his support behind the surgeons saying there was a good reason patients needed the vaccine
Ms Derderian is unvaccinated with patients required to receive a minimum of two doses in order to be eligible for a transplant (stock image)
She said she was up to date with vaccinations for all the other diseases but had refused to get the Covid jab.
Ms Derderian insisted she is not an anti-vaxxer and decided against the vaccine after ‘reading up on all the information’.
‘I wanted to minimise risk as much as possible because as you know, heart transplant is not a walk in the park operation. It’s very complicated. It has a lot of risks,’ she said.
‘And to face those risks on top of an unknown risk from a vaccination that has had partial approval, I had to think twice and it was a very hard decision.’
Dr Coatsworth acknowledged there was a risk from the Covid vaccine but described it as ‘very, very small’.
Ms Derderian remained unmoved by the advice saying she was not prepared to take any risks.
‘In terms of treatments, there are therapeutic treatments that are available to treat Covid, should I have Covid,’ she said.
In July, Dr Nick Coatsworth said there was no ‘public health rationale’ behind Covid vaccine mandates in the workforce as he called for them to be ditched.
‘Corporations should really rethink any vaccine mandate that they have at the moment,’ he said.
