SAN DIEGO — Nuggets guardant Michael Porter Jr. isn’t comfy taking the vaccine for COVID-19 and is adamant determination shouldn’t beryllium a mandate for NBA players to instrumentality it.
Porter, successful an interrogation with The Denver Post, said his sentiment is based connected 2 abstracted bouts with COVID.
“For me, I had COVID twice, I saw however my assemblage reacted, and though the chances are slim, with the vaccine, there’s a accidental you could person a atrocious absorption to it,” Porter said. “For me, I don’t consciousness comfortable.
“My stance connected the mandate is it decidedly shouldn’t beryllium a mandate. It should beryllium everyone’s decision. I spot it some ways. If you privation to get it due to the fact that you consciousness much protected and you consciousness safer, and it’s protecting radical astir you, get it. That’s bully for you. But if you consciousness like, ‘Oh, for me, I don’t consciousness harmless getting it, past don’t get it.’”
Porter isn’t the lone Nuggets subordinate unvaccinated. He, on with immoderate unvaccinated teammate, volition beryllium taxable to onerous investigating and different restrictions. The guidelines are outlined successful the NBA’s wellness and information protocols.
“I’ve had it twice, and I don’t cognize what’s going successful my assemblage with a shot, truthful if I already cognize however I’m going to respond to COVID, I conscionable consciousness like, for me, I don’t privation to hazard putting thing that mightiness impact maine negatively successful my body,” Porter said.
Porter said his thoughts ran parallel to those of Orlando guardant Jonathan Isaac, who told the media earlier this week helium was uncomfortable with the vaccine.
“I’m not anti-vax, I’m not anti-medicine, I’m not anti-science,” Isaac said. “… It is my content that the vaccine presumption of each idiosyncratic should beryllium their ain choice, wholly up to them, without bullying, without being pressured oregon without being forced into doing so. I’m not ashamed to accidental that I’m uncomfortable with taking the vaccine astatine this time.”
According to the NBA’s wellness and information protocol, unvaccinated players won’t beryllium capable to devour successful the aforesaid country with their teammates, volition trial acold much frequently, and volition person limitations connected wherever they tin spell successful their location metropolis and connected the road. With constricted exceptions, including workout oregon indispensable activities, unvaccinated players volition person to “remain astatine their residence astatine each times erstwhile successful their location market, oregon astatine the squad edifice spot astatine each times erstwhile with the traveling enactment connected the road.”
Porter’s determination not to get vaccinated could besides person a detrimental effect connected the team. Unvaccinated players deemed a “close contact” of idiosyncratic who tests affirmative volition person to quarantine for 7 days whereas afloat vaccinated players whitethorn beryllium exempt from a akin quarantine.