Posts claim that patients are denied medical treatment due to their vaccination status

Multiple social media posts in English and Spanish are circulating misleading claims that people who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine are being denied organ transplants and other forms of medical treatment due to their vaccination status.

Recommendation: One of the posts claims that a child with a sinus infection was denied medical treatment because he had not received a COVID-19 vaccine. Debunking messaging may emphasize that the child was not denied treatment due to his vaccination status—he was denied a doctor’s note for school after his mother refused a COVID-19 test. When responding to questions about COVID-19 vaccine requirements for transplant patients, messaging may emphasize that some transplant centers may require patients to be vaccinated against a variety of diseases including COVID-19 because transplant patients take immunosuppressant medication during recovery to prevent their bodies from rejecting the new organ. This leaves unvaccinated transplant patients at increased risk of severe illness and death from a COVID-19 infection. Research shows that COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of severe illness in organ transplant recipients.