Pete Parada, the drummer for the Offspring, has revealed that he has been forced to depart the group for refusing the Covid-19 vaccine. In a lengthy Instagram post, Parada explained that he will not be able to record or tour with the Offspring unless he agrees to get vaccinated.
“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,” the drummer wrote on Instagram. “I mention this because you won’t be seeing me at these upcoming shows. I also want to share my story so that anyone else experiencing the agony and isolation of getting left behind right now knows they’re not entirely alone.”
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Parada noted that his decision to not get vaccinated is because he has a long history of Guillain-Barré Syndrome. That decision was made with his doctor, according to the drummer’s post.
“Given my personal medical history and the side-effect profile of these jabs, my doctor has advised me not to get a shot at this time,” Parada wrote. “I caught the virus over a year ago, 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 Guillain-Barré Syndrome, which dates back to my childhood and has evolved to be progressively worse over my lifetime.”
It’s unclear whether Parada’s departure is permanent or temporary. “I have no negative feelings toward my band,” Parada wrote. “They’re doing what they believe is best for them, while I am doing the same. Wishing the entire Offspring family all the best as they get back at it! I’m heartbroken not to be seeing my road community, and I will miss connecting with the fans more than I can express in words.”
The Offspring released their latest album, Let the Bad Times Roll, in April. Singer Dexter Holland, who earned his Ph.D. in molecular biology from USC in 2017, spoke with Rolling Stone about the pandemic, as well as the new album, earlier this year.
“They got the [Covid] vaccine out so quickly because this technology had been largely worked out,” Holland reflected of the vaccine’s success. “They almost had it ready to go. It’s fascinating and it’s exciting, but we’re still at the point where there’s been little side effects here and there, some blood clotting, potentially. You’re going to have to get a lot of data. But for how many shots have been deployed, it seems to be safe and effective. I think it’s really exciting. This is like a whole new technology in vaccination; it’s been a while since anything new like this came about.”
From Rolling Stone US
