Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has made it clear that he isn’t going to get a COVID-19 vaccine, even if that means he has to go to great lengths to do so.
So, a hospital in Cousins’ hometown of Holland, Michigan, is done with him.
The Holland Hospital, which has partnered with Cousins to help its sports medicine program since 2017, cut ties with him on Friday after he doubled down on his stance about the coronavirus vaccine.
“As the trusted health care leader along the lakeshore, we are committed to providing accurate, timely health information and guidance based on guidelines from the CDC and medical experts," the hospital said in a statement, via local radio station WHTC.
"While we acknowledge that each person is entitled to their own viewpoints, those who speak on our behalf must support messages that align with the hospital’s position on matters of vital importance to individual and community health. For this reason, Holland Hospital will discontinue using Kirk Cousins as our spokesperson for now.
We are proud of our association with Kirk. He embodies many values we respect and share as part of our work culture. However, we must be certain that our communications about COVID vaccination are consistent and unequivocal."
Kirk Cousins ‘at peace’ with decision to not get vaccinated
Cousins, backup Nate Stanley and rookie Kellen Mond were all sidelined this week after one of them reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus and the other two were deemed close contacts. Only backup Jake Browning was available to practice, as he’s vaccinated and didn’t have to isolate.
The Vikings, according to The Associated Press, only had about 70% percent of their roster with at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine — the worst vaccination rate among all teams in the league.
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer hasn’t held back in criticizing both his quarterbacks room and his team in general for the low vaccination rate and the mini outbreak.
“There are quite a few guys that are just against it,” he said earlier this week. “I’m not going to be able to change their mind, so it’s like half of the country, I guess.”
Yet Cousins, who had previously been skeptical of the vaccine, insisted that he is “at peace” with his decision not to get vaccinated.
He blamed his exposure on the fact that the quarterbacks room is too small, said that he’s willing to hold team meetings outside in January when it’s freezing cold in Minnesota and even suggested surrounding himself with Plexiglas to keep himself safe from the coronavirus.
Cousins was asked why he wouldn’t simply get vaccinated instead of going through such great lengths to avoid getting his shot, but instead only said that his vaccination decision was “a very private health matter.”
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