Pete Parada, drummer for the Californian rock band Offspring, said he was ousted from the bandbecause he refused to get a COVID vaccine, despite having already had COVID and acquiring natural immunity.
In an Instagram post, Parada said:
“Since I am unable to comply with what is increasingly becoming an industry mandate, it has recently been decided that I am unsafe to be around, in the studio and on tour. I mention this because you won’t be seeing me at these upcoming shows. I also want to share my story so that anyone else experiencing the agony and isolation of getting left behind right now knows they’re not entirely alone.”
Parada, who had COVID more than a year ago, said he was medically advised not to take the vaccine due to his “personal medical history and the side-effect profile” of COVID vaccines.
Parada has a history of Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS), a serious but rare autoimmune disorder linked to multiple vaccines, including COVID vaccines.
Parada said he was confident he could handle the virus again, but could not handle another round of post-vaccination GBS, which dates back to his childhood and has become progressively worse over his lifetime.
“The risks far outweigh the benefits,” he said.
Parada said he has no negative feelings towards the band. “They’re doing what they believe is best for them,” he said, “while I am doing the same.”
Parada explained:
“There are countless folks (like me) for whom these shots carry a greater risk than the virus. Most of us don’t publicly share a private medical decision we made with careful consideration with our doctor. We know it’s not an easy conversation to unfold.
“If it looks like half the population is having a shockingly different reaction to these jabs than what was expected –– it’s probably because their life experiences have have actually been shockingly different, and their reasons range from a conscientious risk/benefit analysis, to the financial inability to take time off work/lack of healthcare in the event of potential side effects to an understandable distrust in the system that has never prioritized the health and well-being of their communities.”
In a series of tweets, Parada said he unequivocally supports informed consent — “which necessitates choice unburdened by coercion” –– and does not find it “ethical or wise” to allow those with the most power, including government, corporations, organizations or employers to “dictate medical procedures to those with the least power.”
