GOP congressman says he will not take the Covid vaccine because he’s ‘an American’

A Repubican congressman from Colorado announced he would not be taking the coronavirus vaccine because he’s “an American”, a statement that’s sparked controversy among officials.

Representative Ken Buck was asked on Friday about when he would receive the coronavirus vaccine given other members of Congress, such as Senate Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, got the jab.

“I will not be taking the vaccine,” he told Fox News host Neil Caputo. “I’m an American. I have the freedom to decide if I’m going to take a vaccine or not and in this case I am not going to take the vaccine. I’m more concerned about the safety of the vaccine than I am the side effects of the disease.”

Mr Buck went on to state he was a “healthy person” like “most Americans” and thought that at-risk populations and healthcare professionals should be prioritised in receiving that vaccine.

“But I am not going to take a vaccine,” he said.

The announcement sparked a reaction from Dr Jonathan Reiner, the former medical adviser to President George W Bush during his administration.

“This is just ignorant, anti-vax, science denialism masquerading as libertarianism,” Mr Reiner said on CNN Friday. “The reason for a congressman to be vaccinated now is not simply to protect him from disease, it’s hopefully to protect his community from transmission. When you vaccinate someone hopefully you’re blocking the transmission of the virus and maybe most importantly now for a Member of Congress is to model the kind of behavior we want their constituents to adopt.”
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