‘The Offspring’ Drops Drummer Over Vaccine Refusal

As industries across the nation implement vaccine requirements for all workers, the effects of these decisions are only beginning to affect the people under their umbrellas. In the most recent case made public, after 14 years as the drummer of the famous rock group ‘The Offspring’, the band has made the decision to drop the star from playing or making music with them for the foreseeable future. 

‘The Offspring’ drummer Pete Parada has spent his life rocking out with his friends for audiences around the globe. He was not an original drummer for the band, which began in 1984, but became its drummer in 2007 and has played along with the group since that time. Now with a decision to drop the drummer due to his own vaccine hesitancy because of medical issues and even advice from his personal doctor, Pete Parada has gone public with his experience and decided to share his story online so that others going through the same situation do not feel alone.

He issued a public statement on Instagram, which read as follows:

“I’ve got some unfortunate and difficult news to share. I know many of my close friends and family would’ve preferred to hear this privately first – and I apologize for the public nature of my disclosure, but I don’t know how to have this conversation multiple times.

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. 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 – Barre Syndrome, which dates back to my childhood and has evolved to be progressively worse over my lifetime. Unfortunately for me, (and my family – who is hoping to keep me around a bit longer) the risks far outweigh the benefits.

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. 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.

I have no negative feelings towards my band. They’re doing what they believe is best for them, while I am doing the same…

While my reason for not getting the jab is medical, I want to make sure I’m not carving out a space that is only big enough for me. I need to state, unequivocally, that I support informed consent – which necessitates choice unburdened by coercion. 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.

There are countless folks (like me) for whom these shots carry a greater risk than the virus. Most of us don’t publicly share a private decision we made in careful consideration with our doctors. It looks like half the population is having a shockingly different reaction to these jabs than was expected – it’s probably because their life experiences have actually been shockingly different, and their reasons range from a conscientious risk/ benefit analysis, to the financial inability to take off work/ lack of health care in the event of potential side effects, to an understandable distrust in a system that has never prioritized the health or well being of their communities.

I hope we can learn to make room for all the perspectives and fears that are happening currently. Let’s avoid the unfortunate tendency to dominate, dehumanize and shout down at each other. The hesitant population is not a monolithic group. All voices deserve to be heard.

In the meantime, I’m in the midst of launching a project and releasing some music with my daughter, so please stay tuned for all of that. I deeply appreciate your understanding and support as my family and I find a new way forward.

Sending love to everyone who has been impacted by this pandemic, in all the ways lives have been lost and altered.”  

Couldn’t have said things better myself, and was happy to read his public statement. Figured it was worth sharing in whole rather than snippets and excerpts, for readers to see for themselves. Here’s to Pete Parada, I hope he enjoys his time with his family and doesn’t miss the road too much with his rejection. Looking forward to what he creates with his daughter and I hope all of the best, for both him, the vaccinated, the unvaccinated and everyone else dealing with all of the changes to life that the pandemic has presented over the past year and into the coming future. We all continue forward how we can, step by step. Hopefully in freedom.