Offspring drops drummer Pete Parada after he decided NOT to get vaccinated saying doctors advised him against it because he suffered from Guillain-Barre Syndrome
- Pete Parada, 48, was booted out of the band after refusing the Covid-19 vaccine
- The drummer issued a statement explaining his exit from the band on Instagram
- He said he was advised against having the jab by doctors for medical reasons
- Offspring is preparing to go on tour starting at LA’s SoFi stadium on August 8
Offspring has dropped drummer Pete Parada after he refused to get a Covid-19 vaccine because he was told not to by doctors because of his Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
Parada, 48, took to Instagram on Monday to issue a lengthy statement explaining his sudden exit from the band.
‘I am unable to comply with what has increasingly become an industry mandate’ to be vaccinated, he wrote, so ‘you won’t be seeing me at these upcoming shows.’
He said it had been decided ‘I am unsafe to be around, in the studio, and on tour’.
He made it clear his decision not to get the ‘jab’ was for medical reasons, but added that he did not think it’s ‘ethical or wise’ for governments or others in power to ‘dictate medical procedures to those with the least power.’
Offspring has dropped drummer Pete Parada after he refused to get a Covid-19 vaccine because he was told not to by doctors because of his Guillain-Barre Syndrome
It comes as Offspring is getting ready to go back on the road with a new tour starting at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on August 8, though the band will do so without Parada.
The 48-year-old drummer, who joined the Southern California band in 2007, began his lengthy statement by apologizing for the ‘public nature’ of this announcement, ‘but I don’t know how to have this conversation multiple times.’
‘Given my personal medical history and the side-effect profile of these jabs, my doctor has advised me not to get the shot at this time,’ Parada said.
Mild: He added that he caught COVID-19 over a year ago, adding, ‘it was mild for me – so I am confident I’d be able to handle it again, but I’m not so certain I’d survive another post-vaccination round of Guillan-Barre, which dates back to my childhood and has evolved to be progressively worse over my lifetime’
Sending love: ‘Sending love to everyone who has been impacted by this pandemic, in all the ways lives have been lost and altered,’ he concluded
What is Guillain-Barré syndrome?
Guillain–Barré syndrome is a rare disorder in which the immune system goes into overdrive and the body attack its own nerves.
Common symptoms of the rare condition include weakness and tingling in the limbs.
As patients’ conditions worsen, this can lead to parts of the body — or in some cases the whole body — being paralysed.
The syndrome is rare, affecting about one in 100,000 annually in the UK and US.
Fewer than 20,000 cases are diagnosed per year in the US, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Doctors say it is often triggered by a viral or bacterial illness, such as Campylobacter jejuni.
There is no cure. Treatment focuses on restoring the nervous system.
It can be fatal if it involves the respiratory muscles.
Parada he caught Covid-19 over a year ago and said his symptoms were ‘mild’.
‘I am confident I’d be able to handle it [Covid] again, but I’m not so certain I’d survive another post-vaccination round of Guillan-Barre, which dates back to my childhood and has evolved to be progressively worse over my lifetime.’, he said.
Guillan-Barre syndrome is a rapid-onset muscle weakness caused by the immune system damaging the central nervous system.
The CDC has indicated that those who have previously had GBS can get the Covid-19 vaccine, with no cases reported following the Moderna clinical trial and one case in the Johnson & Johnson trial.
While the CDC does add there are ‘few exceptions,’ the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, ‘do not include a history of GBS as a precaution to vaccination with other vaccines.’
Still, for Parada and his family, ‘who are hoping to keep me around a bit longer,’ the risks of the vaccine, ‘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,’ Parada continued.
He added that fans won’t see him at any of the upcoming shows and he wanted to share his story, ‘so that anyone else experiencing the agony and isolation of getting left behind right now – knows they’re not entirely alone.’
Parada said he had, ‘no negative feelings towards my band,’ adding that, ‘they’re doing what they believe is best for them, while I am doing the same.’
Still, he’s ‘heartbroken’ that he won’t be able to see his fans on the road with the new tour, which spans from August until early December.
Parada said that while his reason for not getting the jab is ‘medical,’ he also adds that he supports, ‘informed consent, which necessitates choice unburdened by coercion.’
He hit back at ‘those with the most power’ and said he did not ‘find it ethical or wise’ to allow them ‘to dictate medical procedures to those with the least power’.
He went on to add there are ‘countless’ people like him for whom ‘the shots carry greater risks than the virus.’
He also claimed, ‘it looks like half the population is having a shockingly different reaction to these jabs than expected.’
‘I hope we can learn to make room for all perspectives and fears that are happening currently. Lets avoid the unfortunate tendency to dominate, dehumanize and shout down at each other. The hesitant population is not a monolithic group. All voices deserve to be heard,’ he added.
The drummer concluded by stating that he is ‘in the midst of launching a project and releasing new music with my daughter.’
‘Sending love to everyone who has been impacted by this pandemic, in all the ways lives have been lost and altered,’ he concluded.
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