Pete Parada, the drummer for the rock band, The Offspring, announced in an Instagram post Tuesday that he has been cut from the band after refusing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Parada told fans that his doctors advised him not to receive the shot because he could experience severe adverse side effects. Parada suffers from Guillan-Barré Syndrome (GBS), an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack the nervous system, leading to muscle weakness and possibly paralysis. Most people fully recover, according to the CDC, but some cases can result in permanent nerve damage, and can even be fatal.
Parada explained that he contracted the novel coronavirus last year, experiencing only mild symptoms. He said, “But I’m not so certain I’d survive another post-vaccination round of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, which dates back to my childhood and has evolved to be progressively worse over my lifetime. Unfortunately for me … the risks far outweigh the benefits.”
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Parada wrote that he had “no negative feelings” toward the band, who he believed was only acting in their best interest. He also pointed out that vaccination “is increasingly becoming an industry mandate.”
Parada also expressed support for those who chose not to receive the vaccine. “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 the least power.”
Parada concluded by announcing his own music projects and thanked his fans for their support.
The Offspring are scheduled to go on tour beginning Aug. 8.