A Wisconsin health care organization dropped Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, 37, after the football star tested positive for COVID and defended taking alternative treatment instead of getting vaccinated.
Prevea Health said in a statement that the company and Rodgers mutually agreed to end their partnership, effective Saturday. They had partnered since 2012.
The company said it 'remains deeply committed to protecting its patients, staff, providers and communities amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes encouraging and helping all eligible populations to become vaccinated against COVID-19 to prevent the virus from further significantly impacting lives and livelihoods.'
Prevea Health has dropped Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, 37, after a nine-year partnership. They said it was a mutual parting
Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week and admitted on the Pat McAfee Show that he opted into alternative treatments - including using ivermectin, an animal de-wormer, instead of getting vaccinated
The move comes a day after Rodgers told The Pat McAfee Show he had sought alternative treatments to COVID-19 vaccination because he is allergic to an ingredient in two of the FDA-approved shots. Rodgers did not say what ingredient he was allergic to, or how he knows he is allergic.
The quarterback admitted to taking ivermectin - an animal de-wormer - despite the FDA warning against using the drug.
Rodgers has previously claimed that he is 'immunized.'
When asked at the time if he received the injection, Rodgers said, 'yeah, I'm immunized,' leading may to think he was vaccinated.
'I have an allergy to an ingredient that's in the mRNA vaccines,' Rodgers said on The Pat McAfee Show. 'I found a long-term immunization protocol to protect myself and I'm very proud of the research that went into that.'
The 37-year-old also said he thinks the public hasn't critically considered the effects of the vaccine.
He's been partnered with Prevea since 2012
He attended events for the healthcare provider, where he met fans
'The vaccines do offer some protection for sure but there is a lot we don't know about them,' he said, adding that there is a lot to natural immunity.
'If you have gotten Covid and recovered from it, that's the best boost to immunity you can have.'
According to an NFL Network report, Rodgers received a homeopathic treatment to raise his antibody levels and then asked the NFL to review his status. The league noted that no such exemption exists and ruled Rodgers to be unvaccinated, subjecting him to more stringent pandemic protocols.
Rodgers confirmed this on Friday, saying he asked the team to 'accept my immunization status as under their vaccination protocol,' but the league refused.
Borrowing the phrase, 'my body, my choice,' from pro-choice advocates, Rodgers argued health is not 'one size fits all.'
'I believe strongly in body autonomy and the ability to make choices for your body - not to have to acquiesce to some woke culture or crazed group of individuals that say you have to do something,' he said.
Rodgers has strongly questioned the NFL's COVID-19 protocols, along with any organization forcing health requirements on individuals.
Rodgers appeared on the Pat McAfee show where he admitted he was allergic to an ingredient in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine. He also allegedly opted out of Johnson and Johnson's vaccine due to fertility concerns
'I believe strongly in bodily autonomy and the ability to make choices for your body, not to have to acquiesce to some woke culture or crazed group of individuals who say you have to do something,' he said Friday.
'Health is not a one size fits all for everybody, and for me it involved a lot of study in the offseason.'
The COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in the U.S. were tested in tens of thousands of people and proven to be both safe and effective at dramatically reducing the risk of serious disease and death.
The vaccines have now been given to more than 200 million Americans and that real-world use plus extra government safety tracking have made clear that serious side effects are extremely rare - and that any risk is far lower than the risks posed by COVID-19.
Almost 60 percent of eligible Americans are fully vaccinated as of Saturday.
Rodgers, who has been tested daily as part of NFL protocols for unvaccinated players, found out he contracted COVID-19 on Wednesday.
Rodgers's vaccination status was made plain this week when it was revealed he will be away from the Packers for 10 days - the minimum amount of time an unvaccinated player is asked to quarantine following a positive test, per league rules. The NFL Network also reported that he is unvaccinated.
This means the quarterback will miss Sunday's game at Kansas City. He must have a negative test to return to the team on November 13.
The reigning NFL MVP, whose endorsement deals include a starring role in commercials for insurance company State Farm, hinted that his stance on vaccination could have consequences when he described himself Friday as a victim of 'cancel culture.'
'I realize I'm in the crosshairs of the woke mob right now,' Rodgers said. 'So before my final nail gets put in my casket, I think I would like to set the record straight on so many of the blatant lies that are out there about myself.'
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