[20220204]IN11848_器官移植候选资格与2019冠状病毒疾病疫苗接种状况.pdf

CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress INSIGHTINSIGHTi i Organ Transplant Candidacy and COVID-19 Vaccination Status February 4, 2022 A series of recent media reports have highlighted a current policy among at least some transplant centers to deny potential transplant patients the ability to be waitlisted for an organ due to COVID-19 vaccination status (see Business Insider, Washington Post, and Healthline). Transplant centers generally devise their own policies and consider both medical and nonmedical criteria when selecting potential candidates to add to the waitlist for an organ transplant (i.e., listing). Transplant centers can rule out a candidate when transplantation is not considered the best treatment option for the particular patient. However, the larger underlying issue in listing decisions is a lack of organ supply. The demand for organs far outweighs the available supply. For instance, in 2020, 91,099 individuals were in need of a kidney, while 22,817 kidneys were received. This lack of supply tends to be a key factor in the nationwide allocation of organs to ensure that organs go to individuals with the most need and to individuals who will ensure o