US comedian Chris Rock has revealed he tested positive for COVID-19. The ‘Spiral’ star confirmed he received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
On Sunday, the 56-year-old entertainer shared with his 5.2 million Twitter followers that he had contracted the virus.
“Hey guys I just found out I have COVID, trust me you don’t want this. Get vaccinated,” Rock tweeted.
The announcement comes after the Everybody Hates Chris star sat down with talk show host Jimmy Fallon to promote his new film, Spiral (the newest addition to the Saw franchise).
During his interview, Rock revealed that he had received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine – a single-shot vaccine developed by American healthcare company, Johnson & Johnson.
Can someone explain to me the logic of Chris Rock telling people to get vaccinated after he got covid while being vaccinated…
— samanthamarika (@samanthamarika1) September 19, 2021
“I’m vaccinated. I’m two-shots Rock. That’s what they call me,” the Madagascar star said to cheers from the audience.
“Besides this little foot growing out my ass, I feel fine,” the comedian joked.
“I got Johnson & Johnson. That’s the food stamps of vaccines … You know I skipped the line too, to get the vaccine. I didn’t care. I used my celebrity, Jimmy. I was like: ‘Step aside Betty White. Step aside, old people…” Rock said.
The entertainer has been vocal about his support of vaccines. In January, Rock spoke with journalist Gayle King about why people should take the COVID-19 vaccines seriously.
“Let me put it this way: Do I take Tylenol when I get a headache? Yes. Do I know what’s in Tylenol? I don’t know what’s in Tylenol, Gayle. I just know my headache’s gone. Do I know what’s in a Big Mac, Gayle? No. I just know it’s delicious,” Rock said.
Steatbelts don’t prevent car accidents. They reduce the likelihood that you‘ll die.
Vaccines don’t prevent viruses from reaching your body. They reduce the likelihood that a virus will thrive.
Why are people shocked that good preventative measures aren’t magic 100% solutions?
— jwkovell (@jwkovell) September 19, 2021
According to Johnson & Johnson’s website, the vaccine is “85 percent effective in preventing severe disease … and showed protection against COVID-19 related hospitalization and death, beginning 28 days after vaccination”.
While the use and production of the vaccine was halted for a time – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were investigating cases of women developing “serious blood clots” after taking it – its usage was eventually authorised to be continued.
The vice chairman of the executive committee and chief scientific officer at Johnson & Johnson, Paul Stoffels, MD, said the following to reassure that their vaccine was safe and effective:
“We believe the Johnson & Johnson single-shot COVID-19 vaccine is a critical tool for fighting this global pandemic, particularly as it shows protection across countries with different variants. A vaccine that protects against COVID-19, especially against the most dire outcomes of hospitalization and death, will help ease the burden on people and the strain on health systems worldwide.”
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), as of September 18, the US has 41, 395 425 confirmed cases of COVID-19. 663, 141 Americans have died from the virus.
