(CMR) A Nashville radio host who was skeptical about getting vaccinated has died from COVID-19. Phil Valentine (61) said he wouldn’t get vaccinated because he had a “low risk” of getting COVID-19 and dying from it.
SuperTalk 99.7 WTN announced on Saturday that Valentine died after being hospitalized with the virus. The radio host was first hospitalized in late July with the virus.
“Phil would like for his listeners to know that while he has never been an ‘anti-vaxer’, he regrets not being more vehemently ‘Pro-Vaccine’, and looks forward to being able to more vigorously advocate that position as soon as he is back on the air, which we all hope will be soon,” his family said in a statement posted to Facebook by the radio station.
Valentine had expressed his skepticism of the coronavirus vaccines and masks on his radio program and social media, with one of his last tweets on July 15 questioning the safety of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
He tweeted last year that people should do a “risk assessment” on whether they should get vaccinated.
“I have a very low risk of A) Getting COVID and B) dying of it if I do. Why would I risk getting a heart attack or paralysis by getting the vaccine?” he posted.
He also reportedly recorded a Beatles parody song, “Vaxman,” that mocked the vaccine.
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