Guess you gotta keep ’em vaccinated.
The drummer of The Offspring has been booted from the popular rock band after failing to get the COVID-19 vaccine over medical concerns.
Pete Parada announced the news in a lengthy Monday Instagram post, where he made clear he harbored no ill-feeling toward his bandmates, but said the risks of getting the jab for him “far outweigh the benefits.”
“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,” the drummer wrote.
It wasn’t clear through his statement if Parada’s departure is permanent, but he noted he will not perform in the band’s upcoming shows.
Parada said throughout his childhood he suffered from several rounds of Guillain-Barre Syndrome and does want to risk triggering another bout with the vaccine.
While remaining cordial with the band, Parada did rail against vaccine mandates.
“I do not find it ethical or wise to allow those with the most power (government, corporations, organizations, employers) to dictate medical procedures to those with least power,” he wrote.
“There are countless folks (like me) for whom these shots carry a greater risk than the virus,” he said.
