Republican Sen. Rand Paul from Kentucky said he will not be getting a COVID-19 vaccination during an interview with John Catsimatidis on his radio show on Sunday, The Hill reported.
Paul said he’s not getting the vaccine because he has already had COVID-19. Paul tested positive for COVID-19 in March 2020, the Daily Caller reported at the time. He was the first Senator known to have contracted the virus.
Rand Paul: ‘I’m not getting vaccinated’ https://t.co/YKKWhgiTxB
— John Catsimatidis (@JCats2013) May 23, 2021
“Until they show me evidence that people who have already had the infection are dying in large numbers or being hospitalized or getting very sick, I just made my own personal decision that I’m not getting vaccinated because I’ve already had the disease and I have natural immunity,” Paul said.
Critics said Paul was going against the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations that advise those who had COVID-19 to get vaccinated. (RELATED: ‘Can’t Go On Like This Forever’: Rand Paul Vows To Fight Biden On Lockdowns)
Data from the CDC reveal that 48.8% of adults in the country have been fully vaccinated, according to The Hill. Slightly less than 61% have received at least one vaccine shot.
On Sunday, Paul added that the decision to get vaccinated should be a personal choice and there should not be any pressure to get a COVID-19 vaccination shot.
“In a free country, you would think people would honor the idea that each individual would get to make the medical decision, that it wouldn’t be a big brother coming to tell me what I have to do,” Paul said.