https://thehill.com/homenews/house/530989-gop-congressman-says-hes-more-worried-about-covid-19-vaccine-than-disease GOP Rep. Ken Buck (Colo.) this week said he will not be taking the coronavirus vaccine, explaining that he is "more concerned about the safety of the vaccine" than the "side effects of the disease." "It is my choice," Buck told Fox Business host Neil Cavuto on Friday. "I''m an American and I have the freedom to decide if I''m going to take a vaccine or not and, in this case, I''m not going to take the vaccine." The comments come as both health officials and social media companies alike are attempting to combat misinformation on the safety of the vaccine, with health experts saying that at least 70 percent of the country needs to be vaccinated in order to achieve herd immunity and end the outbreak that has infected more than 17.4 million Americans and killed more than 300,000. However, Buck said on Friday, "I''m more concerned about the safety of the vaccine than I am the side effects of the disease." "I''m a healthy person and I think most Americans are healthy," the 61-year-old GOP congressman continued. "I think what we should do is we should focus on the at-risk populations in America, make sure those are the people that get this vaccine first. Make sure that the health care workers who want the vaccine get the vaccine as soon as possible. "But, I am not going to take a vaccine," Buck repeated. "I think it is one of those issues that Americans have to make that decision for themselves and I hope that we don''t get to the point where either corporations or the government are requiring this vaccine. I think that is a terrible mistake in this country," he added.
GOP Rep. Ken Buck (Colo.) this week said he will not be taking the coronavirus vaccine, explaining that he is "more concerned about the safety of the vaccine" than the "side effects of the disease."
"It is my choice," Buck told Fox Business host Neil Cavuto on Friday. "I''m an American and I have the freedom to decide if I''m going to take a vaccine or not and, in this case, I''m not going to take the vaccine."
The comments come as both health officials and social media companies alike are attempting to combat misinformation on the safety of the vaccine, with health experts saying that at least 70 percent of the country needs to be vaccinated in order to achieve herd immunity and end the outbreak that has infected more than 17.4 million Americans and killed more than 300,000. However, Buck said on Friday, "I''m more concerned about the safety of the vaccine than I am the side effects of the disease."
"I''m a healthy person and I think most Americans are healthy," the 61-year-old GOP congressman continued. "I think what we should do is we should focus on the at-risk populations in America, make sure those are the people that get this vaccine first. Make sure that the health care workers who want the vaccine get the vaccine as soon as possible.
"But, I am not going to take a vaccine," Buck repeated. "I think it is one of those issues that Americans have to make that decision for themselves and I hope that we don''t get to the point where either corporations or the government are requiring this vaccine. I think that is a terrible mistake in this country," he added.