Aaron Rodgers doubled down in his previous statement about his COVID-19 vaccination status, insisting that he did not lie when he told reporters in August that he was “vaccinated”.
In an interview with Sirius XM “Pat McAfee show“Friday, Rogers said he wanted to “clarify many blatant lies about myself. “
Earlier this week, the 37-year-old Green Bay Packers quarterback was added to the team’s reserve/COVID-19 roster. Coach Matt LaFleur will not confirm whether Rogers’ virus test result is positive or whether his vaccination status is positive, only that the athlete complies with the COVID-19 protocol. He also confirmed that Rogers will be absent from Sunday’s away game against the Kansas City Chiefs. He does not know when the star quarterback will return to the game.
Rogers previously told reporters and news media that he was “vaccinated” before the upcoming season, for which some players refused to be vaccinated. He also said that he will not judge players who have not been vaccinated, and seems to imply that he has received the injection.
On Friday’s show, Rogers confirmed that he was infected with the virus and said that he “didn’t lie at the initial press conference.” However, he admitted that he did not want to answer any questions related to vaccination.
“I want it to disappear,” he said, as quoted NBC News“Everyone in the team knew that I was not vaccinated. Everyone in the organization knew that I was not vaccinated. I did not hide it from anyone. I tried to minimize and ease this continuous conversation.”
He also cited the memory of Martin Luther King Jr., claiming that the civil rights leader would agree that he “has a moral obligation to oppose unjust and meaningless rules.” The athlete defended his choice, insisting that he was not an “anti-vax flat earth” but a “critical thinker.”
“I firmly believe in the autonomy of the body and the ability to make choices for your body: you don’t have to acquiesce in some waking culture or a group of crazy people saying you have to do something. Health is not everything,” he explained.
Rogers continued to claim that he was allergic to an ingredient in the mRNA vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. He did not immediately elaborate on the allergies. He also said that he is worried that Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine may have an adverse effect.
Dr. Niraj Patel of Atlanta, the chair of the COVID-19 vaccine working group of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, said that the number of people who have allergic reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine is only about 2 to 5 cases per million doses.
“From this perspective, the likelihood of you being struck by lightning is the same as the likelihood of an allergic reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine,” Patel said.
Rogers said he took ivermectin, which is mainly used to treat or prevent parasites in animals. The FDA has not authorized or approved the drug to treat or prevent COVID-19, and people have been hospitalized while taking the drug.
The Packers do not need to be vaccinated at their home stadium, Rambo Stadium.
After his COIVD-19 diagnosis, Rogers will Forced to quarantine At least 10 days. He missed the upcoming game, which greatly reduced Green Bay’s chances of winning Kansas City. But Jordan Love is expected to improve his game level. The backup quarterback will start for the team for the first time.
Photo: GETTY IMAGES North America/Harry How
