Peta Parada has refused to take the Covid-19 vaccine due to health issues relating to Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a disorder in which your body's immune system attacks your nerves. Photo / Getty Images
Peta Parada has refused to take the Covid-19 vaccine due to health issues relating to Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a disorder in which your body's immune system attacks your nerves. Photo / Getty Images
Peta Parada, the drummer for rock band The Offspring, has been sacked after refusing to get the Covid-19 vaccine.
Posting on social media this week, Parada said the band had drawn a hard line in the sand about requiring the vaccine to continue on and work.
While Parada claims to have a legitimate medical reason for not getting the jab, he says he has been sacked, replaced and told not to return to the studio.
It's unclear whether the firing is permanent or not, but he says he is working on other projects and looking to "find a new way forward".
"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 apologise for the public nature of my disclosure, but I don't know how to have this conversation multiple times.
The Offspring have booted drummer Pete Parada from the band for refusing the vaccine. Photo / Getty Images
"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-Barré 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," Parada wrote in his lengthy Instagram post.
"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."
Parada explains that he had previously got the Covid-19 virus, and claims to have the antibodies already. However, his lifelong battle with Guillain-Barré syndrome puts him at risk for vaccination side-effects.
He added that he supports anybody who does not want to get the vaccine, whether it be fear of side effects, or distrust of the medical and government advice.
Parada says he isn't posting on social media out of anger toward his fellow bandmates, but it is clear he isn't impressed with the "coercion" that currently surrounds getting the vaccine.
"I have no negative feelings towards my band," he 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."
While the band has yet to make a comment on the matter, fans have noted that lead singer Dexter Holland has a PhD in molecular biology from University of Southern California (USC) and will most likely have a strong opinion on the matter.
Bassist Greg K left the group in 2019, meaning if Parada's exit is a permanent one, the band has lost two members in the span of three years.
Parada was part of the band for 12 years, making him the group's second longest-running drummer in their 37-year career as The Offspring.
