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Sean Hannity walks back his enthusiasm for COVID-19 vaccines: ‘I Never Told Anyone to Get a Vaccine!’

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Updated on July 22, 2021

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On Thursday night, Fox News host Sean Hannity was enraged by the praise he got from leftists and mainstream media sources for ostensibly supporting the COVID-19 vaccinations this week, stating unequivocally that he “never told anyone to get a vaccine.”

“For some reason, me saying take COVID seriously has finally caught up with the mob and the — and the media. Now, I think they’ve got ulterior motives. They monitor this show and TV every night, and I think it has to do with the fact that — you know, there’s been this attempt to blame conservatives for the vaccine hesitancy.

“And, you know for example, Yahoo News: ‘Suddenly Sean Hannity and other Fox hosts are urging their viewers to get COVID-19 vaccines.’ Suddenly? Well, first of all, I’m not urging people to get the COVID-19 vaccine, because I’m not a doctor. That is not what I said.

“I said to take it seriously, it can kill you. I said to do a lot of research. If you have a phone, do your research. I said to consult your doctor and doctors, and medical professionals you trust.

“I never told anyone to get a vaccine,” the conservative host proclaimed. “I have been very clear. I am simply not qualified.”

As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations rise among the unvaccinated, Hannity’s comments immediately went viral, as they were viewed as part of a coordinated campaign by many conservatives to persuade vaccine-hesitant Republicans to get vaccinated. However, Hannity has made similar comments in the past, and his Tuesday night show included a sympathetic interview with a college student who refuses to be vaccinated, as well as criticism of institutions forcing vaccinations.

During his CNN interview this week, Biden referred to Hannity and Doocy’s pro-vaccine comments. The president joked that hosts on “one of those other networks” — most likely referring to Fox News — had an “altar call” on vaccinations, which he described as a good trend.

On whether or not he supports vaccinations, Hannity has adopted a muddled stance. In January, he said that he was ” beginning to have doubts ” about obtaining the shots.

While Hannity’s lack of medical qualifications prohibits him from advocating for vaccines, it hasn’t prevented him from diagnosing President Joe Biden with dementia and cognitive mental deterioration from afar. In fact, just before to this episode, Hannity and his panel publicly predicted that Biden “will either resign from office in the near future for medical issues or they will have to use the 25th amendment to get rid of him.”

This week, Fox hosts seemed to flip significantly in support of COVID-19 vaccines. CNN said that the network aired an advertisement on Wednesday to urge viewers to get the vaccination, which included some of its most well-known newscasters.

Fox News’ parent business is allowing its employees to freely disclose their vaccination status with the company behind the scenes. A Fox Corporation representative verified to Forbes that employees who comply with this request are exempt from daily health screening requirements.