Offspring drummer Pete Parada says he’s out of band for not having COVID-19 vaccine

Offspring may be looking for a new drummer. Pete Parada said he’s been kicked out of the band because he will not get the COVID-19 vaccine.

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Not only will Parada not take part in the band’s upcoming tour, but he’s also been told to not go to the studio, Variety reported.

Parada said he has a medical reason for not getting the coronavirus vaccination. He said he already was infected with COVID-19 and that since he has Guillain-Barre Syndrome, he is at a greater risk of vaccine side effects, USA Today reported.

Guillain-Barre Syndrome is a condition where the body’s immune system attacks the nerves, the Mayo Clinic said. An exact cause of the condition is not known but can follow a respiratory or gastrointestinal infection or Zika virus. There is also no known cure but treatments can ease the symptoms.

He also hasn’t said if he is permanently out of the band, or if it is a temporary move, but he did write about non-Offspring projects on social media, Variety reported.

“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 on Instagram. “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.”

He wrote that he is not angry with the band’s decision.

“I have no negative feelings towards my band,” Parada wrote on Instagram. “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.”

The band is scheduled to play Aug. 8 at a radio festival in Los Angeles with a tour starting in September, Variety reported.

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