The recognition of natural immunity by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Biden administration should be part of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, Sen. Roger Marshall told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
The Kansas Republican expressed support for coronavirus immunizations but said that a booster shot is not appropriate for everyone and protection offered by natural immunity from having contracted the coronavirus should also be taken into consideration.
“If you’ve had the virus, that needs to be acknowledged and then a decision made with the patient and the doctor deciding if they should get the booster or not,” Marshall said.
“Maybe check their level of antibodies. Take into account what their healthcare situation is. A diabetic – type II diabetic that’s had the virus, I would check their level of antibodies and probably encourage them to get the booster. But a 19-year-old Navy SEAL who has a higher chance of getting pericarditis, a heart inflammation, than going to the hospital from the virus, I probably would have a different answer.”
The senator added that being honest with people was also important.
“I was never able to talk anybody into stopping smoking by a mandate or by trying to argue with them,” said Marshall, a former physician. “It was by being honest and communicating with them.”
He also stressed he was against “any type of federal mandates … especially an unconstitutional federal vaccine mandate.”
Marshall also acknowledged that “the biggest impact would be right now is to get boosters into seniors. That’s what’s going to stop hospitalizations and stop deaths. If you’re a senior citizen and haven’t gotten your booster yet, shame on you. Please go do that. If you have underlying health care conditions, if you’re diabetic, if you’re overweight, please go get the booster because you’re going to get the virus and be exposed to it, I’ll guarantee it. And if you don’t have that booster, we know the vaccines kind of run out after about five to six months.”
However, he emphasized that from a practical standpoint, “mandates are going to cause an economic shutdown. It’s going to exacerbate inflation. It’s going to cause brownouts. It’s going to cause supply chain disruptions and national security issues,” adding that, “I support the vaccines, but not the mandates.”
