Embattled Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers confirmed on Friday he’s unvaccinated, claimed he’s allergic to Covid-19 vaccines, is taking ivermectin and accused the “woke mob” of allegedly trying to “cancel” him.
Rogers, who tested positive for Covid-19 and won’t play in his team’s game Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, has come under fire for not getting vaccinated.
“Look, I’m not, you know, some sort of anti-vax flat-earther. I am somebody who is a critical thinker,” the Green Bay signal caller told “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“I believe strongly in bodily autonomy and ability to make choices for your body: Not have to acquiesce to some woke culture or crazed group of individuals who say you have to do something. Health is not a one-size-fits-all for everybody.”
Rodgers said he has received monoclonal antibodies and taken ivermectin — and thanked podcast host Joe Rogan, who has come under fire for his advocacy of discredited Covid-19 treatments.
Ivermectin, a drug generally used to deworm animals, has become a popular but unproven medication to treat Covid-19 among some who oppose vaccinations. The FDA has not authorized or approved ivermectin for use in preventing or treating Covid in humans and has warned against taking the veterinary form of the drug.
“I consulted with a now good friend of mine Joe Rogan, after he got Covid, and I’ve been doing a lot of stuff that he recommended,” Rodgers said.
Rogers said he has an “allergy to an ingredient that’s in the mRNA vaccines” that are made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
The quarterback didn’t immediately detail the allergy that blocks him from both the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines. He also said he feared possible adverse effects from the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The number of people who have had anaphylactic reactions to Covid vaccines is very small, about 2 to 5 cases per million doses, said Dr. Niraj Patel of Atlanta, chair of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology’s Covid-19 Vaccine Task Force.
“Putting this into perspective, you’re as likely to get struck by lightning as you are to have an allergic reaction to a Covid vaccine,” he said.
Before the season started, Rodgers was asked if he had been vaccinated and the quarterback said he had been “immunized.” In the same answer, he said of unvaccinated players, “I’m not gonna judge those guys,” seemingly implying he had gotten the jab.
The NFL is investigating the Packers and Rodgers for possibly breaking Covid safety protocols.
Rodgers on Friday insisted he wasn’t lying in that pre-season answer, but conceded he didn’t want to answer any more questions about vaccination.
“I wanted it to go away,” Rodgers admitted. “Everyone on the squad knew I was not vaccinated. Everyone in the organization knew I wasn’t vaccinated. I wasn’t hiding from anybody. I was trying to minimize and mitigate having this conversation going on and on.”
Rodgers thanked the hosts of the sports talk show for allowing him to speak at length Friday.
“I realize I’m in the crosshairs of the woke mob right now,” Rogers said. “So before my final nail gets put in my cancel culture casket, I think I’d like to set the record straight on so many of the blatant lies.”
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
