Bryson DeChambeau has no regrets over not being vaccinated for COVID-19 before the Tokyo Olympics. DeChambeau — who is not vaccinated — said he would rather make sure other people get the vaccine before he considers taking it, according to ESPN.
DeChambeau was supposed to take part in the men’s Olympic golf tournament in Tokyo, but tested positive for COVID-19 days before the start of the event. He was pulled from the Games due to the positive test.
Despite that, DeChambeau feels he made the right decision to not receive the vaccine before the Olympics.
“The vaccine doesn’t necessarily prevent it from happening,” DeChambeau told a few reporters after his nine-hole pro-am round at TPC Southwind on Wednesday. “I’m young enough, I’d rather give it [the vaccine] to people who need it. I don’t need it. I’m a healthy, young individual that will continue to work on my health.
“I don’t think taking the vaccine away from someone who needs it is a good thing. My dad is a perfect example. He got it [the vaccine] early on because he’s a diabetic. People like that need to get it. My mom got it. I don’t want to take away that ability.”
DeChambeau added he lost “8 to 10 pounds” over the past couple weeks, and is working to get in shape in time for the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, which will take place Aug. 5-8.
No shortage of COVID-19 vaccine in United States
DeChambeau’s reasoning may have held more water in February and March, when the vaccine was being prioritized for people who are high risk or have pre-existing conditions, but the COVID-19 vaccines have been widely available for most adults for months in several states.
There is also no shortage of the COVID-19 vaccines in the United States, so DeChambeau wouldn’t be taking it away from someone else at this point.
DeChambeau tested positive as the delta variant of COVID-19 — which is believed to be more contagious — spreads across the U.S. While vaccinated individuals can test positive for COVID-19, less than 0.004 percent of fully vaccinated people have been hospitalized due to a breakthrough case, according to the CDC.
The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) has done research showing 90 percent of recent COVID-19 cases are occurring among unvaccinated individuals. More than 95 percent of hospitalizations and deaths from the virus have come from people who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine, per the KFF. The KFF is not the only organization that has discovered those figures.
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