money Offspring drummer Pete Parada says he's out of the band after refusing to get vaccinated
Offspring drummer Pete Parada shared on social media that because he won't get the COVID-19 vaccine, he is no longer part of the band.
The 48-year-old said he was revealing what happened "so that anyone else experiencing the agony and isolation of getting left behind right now — knows they're not entirely alone." According to Parada, he caught COVID-19 last year, and "it was mild for me, so I am confident I'd be able to handle it again, but I'm not so confident 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."
Parada said his doctor advised him against getting the vaccine due to his "personal medical history and the side-effect profile of these jabs," and since he is "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. I mention this because you won't be seeing me at these upcoming shows." Parada added he has "no negative feelings towards my band. They're doing what they believe is best for them, while I am doing the same."
Guillain-Barré Syndrome is a rare autoimmune disorder that can cause muscle weakness and paralyses; the Food and Drug Administration says out of 13 million people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, there were 100 reports of patients later coming down with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, with most having a full recovery.
The Offspring formed in Orange County, California, in 1984, and Parada joined in 2007. The band — whose lead singer, Dexter Holland, received his Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Southern California — will perform to a sold-out crowd Sunday at Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium, with all attendees required to prove they are fully vaccinated. A spokesperson for the Offspring did not return the Los Angeles Times' request for comment.
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