Page Nav

HIDE

Pages

Classic Header

{fbt_classic_header}

Breaking News:

latest

Bill Maher reveals that he will REFUSE COVID booster shot, demands 'medical autonomy' and says he only had vaccine in first place to 'take one for the team'

  Liberal chat show host Bill Maher has announced he has no plans to get a COVID vaccine booster shot - and said he only got vaccinated in t...

 Liberal chat show host Bill Maher has announced he has no plans to get a COVID vaccine booster shot - and said he only got vaccinated in the first place to 'take one for the team.' 

On Friday's episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, the 64 year-old said: 'I never wanted the vaccine, I took one for the team.

'And by the way, do you know who doesn't get a lot of vaccines? Millennials,' Maher said. 'I know a lot of millennials, especially the 20 year-olds, they don't think they need it, they're probably right. But I tell them I didn't want it either - I took one for the team.

'But every eight months you're going to put this sh*t in me?' he asked, rhetorically. 'I don't know about that.

'Maybe I don't need one,' he said. 'I don't want a one-size fits all. My body may be different than your body.'

President Biden meanwhile was busy celebrating the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine being approved by the FDA.

Biden, speaking at the White House, portrayed it as a huge victory even though it will be of limited practical value months after the vaccination received emergency approval.

Even so, he spoke directly to what he said were 'millions' of Americans who may have been waiting for full approval before trusting the jab - even though the shots have been going in arms since December 2020.

'It has now happened,' Biden said. 'The moment you’ve been waiting for is here. It’s time for you go get your vaccine. Get it today.'

The celebratory dust had not even settled though, before Biden urged American companies on Monday to begin ordering staff to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

However, Fox News host Tucker Carlson hit out at the hypocrisy shown by Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. 

Carlson showed footage of Pelosi attending a fundraising event without wearing a face mask, despite having previously told Capitol staffers that face-coverings would be required at all times, and claiming that 'real men wear masks.'

On his show Friday, Bill Maher said he does not plan to get a booster shot, drawing backlash from former Congressman Max Roe

On his show Friday, Bill Maher said he does not plan to get a booster shot, drawing backlash from former Congressman Max Roe

Maher's comments on Friday provoked the ire of former New York Congressman Max Rose, who was part of Maher's round-table discussion on the topic.

He replied: 'Yeah, I lost you man. That's crazy.'

'My body isn't different? Everybody's body isn't somewhat different?' Maher asked in response. 'I just read the statistics about who dies from this -

'You're trying to be cute, you're rolling the dice,' Rose said.

'I'm not trying to be cute,' Maher shot back.

'I know I'm in your house,' Rose told Maher, 'I'm not trying to step over the line here, but genuinely, genuinely, people's lives are on the line - and just as significantly our very way of life is on the line here.

'It's very important that people get vaccinated. It's very important that-'

'Right, I'm saying get vaccinated,' Maher said.

'But if there's a need for boosters, particularly, particularly as the evidence is showing, amongst those who have underlying conditions, amongst the elderly, so on and so forth, it's important they take them, and it's important they trust those who are urging them to do it,' Rose said.

'OK, OK,' Maher replied, 'but you just said underlying condition and elderly - I don't count myself either, so is my body different? Can I have some medical autonomy?'

'No, look, no one is mandating it for you in your particular position,' Rose said, 'although they might, but I do think it's very dangerous to enter into a conversation here about personal responsibility when the truth of the matter is this is a collective responsibility.

'If large groups of people do not get vaccinated, they go to the hospital, and our hospitals get overrun,' said Rose. 'You can't get a mammogram, you can't get a biopsy and so many other things - literally society as we know it can't function.

'So this is important that people are urged to get vaccinated - it's important that they do give back.'

'That's why I said "the team,"' Maher responded, 'because I did it for the team.'

His other guest, Andrew Sullivan, a British-American author, meanwhile, said he did get a booster shot as he is HIV positive.

Maher has previously tested positive for the virus, despite being fully vaccinated. He was asymptomatic.

Maher has previously tested positive for COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated

Maher has previously tested positive for COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated


The CDC is now recommending anyone who received either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine get a booster shot eight months after receiving their second dose, with the first scheduled to be administered in late September. 

Officials have said that people who have received the vaccines appear to be losing some of the immunity they gained initially, and say the boosters should offer further immunity as winter approaches, amid fears of a fresh COVID spike. 

'Based on our latest assessment, the current protection against severe disease, hospitalizations and death could diminish in the months ahead, especially among those who are at higher risk or were vaccinated during the earlier phases of the vaccination rollout,' United States health officials said in a statement on August 18.

'For that reason, we conclude that a booster shot will be needed to maximize vaccine-induced protection and prolong its durability.

'Our top priority remains staying ahead of the virus and protecting the American people from COVID-19 with safe, effective and long-lasting vaccines, especially in the context of a constantly changing virus and epidemiologic landscape,' they added.

The goal is for people to start receiving a COVID booster shot in the fall, the CDC explains in an FAQ on its website.

The CDC maintains that COVID vaccines are working 'very well to prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death even against the Delta variant.

'However, public health experts are starting to see reduced protection against mild and moderate disease. For that reason, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service is planning for a booster shot so vaccinated people maintain protection over the coming months.'

Brandon Rivera,  a Los Angeles County emergency medical technician, gave a second does of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to Aaron Delgado, 16, at a pop up vaccine clinic on Wednesday

Brandon Rivera,  a Los Angeles County emergency medical technician, gave a second does of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to Aaron Delgado, 16, at a pop up vaccine clinic on Wednesday


Some five million Americans will be eligible for boosters by late September, the New York Times reports, and the Biden administration has more than 100 million doses that could be used for boosters, plus tens of millions more in freezers at pharmacies and other locations.

The administration has also purchased more supply for delivery this fall. 

And the discussion around booster shots comes after President Joe Biden urged American companies on Monday to begin ordering staff to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as he celebrated the FDA's final approval of the Pfizer vaccine.

After delivering the much needed good news he exited the White House auditorium sharply, without stopping to answer questions about the crisis in Afghanistan.

It was a welcome moment for an administration battered by weeks of negative headlines, from spiking cases of COVID-19 to the collapse of the Afghan government and plunging poll numbers.

Joe Biden urged Americans to get vaccinated amid FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine

Joe Biden urged Americans to get vaccinated amid FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine

After delivering his good news on vaccinations, Biden headed straight for the exit ignoring questions about Afghanistan

After delivering his good news on vaccinations, Biden headed straight for the exit ignoring questions about Afghanistan

Major companies like Amtrak, Walt Disney and Walmart have already required their workers to be immunized and the Pentagon have said they will mandate all troops.

But Biden's calls for all companies to make their requirements stricter is likely to face calls of federal government overreach and legal challenges.

States including Florida and Texas have already fought back against vaccine mandates and believe it is a personal choice to get the shot.

Biden, speaking at the White House, portrayed it as a huge victory even though it will be of limited practical value months after the vaccination received emergency approval.

Even so, he spoke directly to what he said were 'millions' of Americans who may have been waiting for full approval before trusting the jab - even though the shots have been going in arms since December 2020.

'It has now happened,' Biden said. 'The moment you’ve been waiting for is here. It’s time for you go get your vaccine. Get it today.'

The FDA announcement was a welcome bit of good news for an administration that has been battered by weeks of negative headlines and remains under intense pressure as the clock runs down on the president's August 31 deadline for withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan

The FDA announcement was a welcome bit of good news for an administration that has been battered by weeks of negative headlines and remains under intense pressure as the clock runs down on the president's August 31 deadline for withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan

Biden shares updates on the COVID response and vaccinations
Loaded: 0%
Progress: 0%
00:00
Previous
Play
Skip
Mute
Current Time00:00
/
Duration Time10:54
Fullscreen
Need Text

He pointed to a pickup in the pace of vaccinations amid a spike in hospitalizations and deaths among the unvaccinated.

'The FDA approval is the gold standard,' Biden said, amid information showing about a third of eligible Americans have declined to get the vaccine.

However, meanwhile, Tucker Carlson hit out at Nancy Pelosi for going maskless at a lavish Democrat fundraiser where all servers were made to cover their faces.

The Fox News Host blasted the Speaker of the House of Representatives on his show Monday night, after images of Pelosi at Sunday's Napa bash - which cost up to $29,000 to attend - appeared online.

Carlson said: 'This is footage shot at a Democratic fund-raiser yesterday morning in Napa just north of San Francisco. Nancy Pelosi was there and has an estate right nearby. So were other Democratic officials on the party's biggest donors.

'They paid $30,000 per ticket to be there. Now looking at the picture, the first thing you notice about the group other than how strikingly homogenous and non-diverse it is, is that none of them are wearing masks.

'They are breathing all the fresh air they like as if it's 2019 again. The only people there wearing masks are their servants, the faceless brown serfs scurrying back and forth to bring them things.

Tucker Carlson took aim at Nancy Pelosi after she was filmed going maskless at a lavish Democrat fundraiser

Tucker Carlson took aim at Nancy Pelosi after she was filmed going maskless at a lavish Democrat fundraiser 

Pelosi was filmed addressing donors at the lavish outdoor fundraiser, which cost up to $29,000 to attend

Pelosi was filmed addressing donors at the lavish outdoor fundraiser, which cost up to $29,000 to attend 

The House Speaker has previously spoken strongly in support of masks, and imposed a rule making the compulsory on the floor of the House of Representatives

The House Speaker has previously spoken strongly in support of masks, and imposed a rule making the compulsory on the floor of the House of Representatives 

'There's nothing worse than having the help breathe on you. That's not a problem for Nancy Pelosi, as you can see.'

Carlson continued: 'It's repulsive, but revealing. It's pretty clear at this point that Nancy Pelosi, our chief COVID enforcer, doesn't believe a word she says about the virus.

'Now, Pelosi is 81 years old and deep in the risk range for coronavirus. She's standing at a crowded event in Napa which according to the Biden administration's color-coded map of the country is one of the riskiest places in America for coronavirus transmission.

'And yet Pelosi is not social distancing she's wearing a face shield, she doesn't even have a mask on. Why is that? Well clearly, she understands she is not in danger. and since there are no Republican present, she has no reason to pretend otherwise.'

Carlson then shared clips of Pelosi espousing the benefits of mask wearing - including the speaker telling Capitol staffers that face-coverings would be required at all times, and claiming that 'real men wear masks.' 

Meanwhile, the United States has seen a slight dip in cases, with 43,222 reported on August 22, down from 155,496 new cases reported just two days earlier, according to CDC data.

The death rate has also declined, with 164 deaths reported on Monday, down from 375 on Saturday

About 60.8 percent of all Americans have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine, with just over half reporting that they are fully vaccinated. 


No comments