CRO-MAGS' HARLEY FLANAGAN Defends Decision To Get COVID-19 Vaccine, Blasts 'Conspiracy Theorists'

CRO-MAGS frontman Harley Flanagan has defended his decision to get the COVID-19 vaccine, saying it's about being "responsible" and doing whatever he has to do "to exist in the world."

Earlier today, Flanagan, who has apparently spent the last few days visiting friends and family in Denmark, shared the following message via Instagram: "To all those who are against vaccinations. I too believe in freedom of choice but I also believe in looking out for each other. And if I have to get vaccinated to travel and to play concerts and do what I like to do then that's what I'm gonna do. It's not about 'boot licking' like some of these assholes want to say, it's about doing what I have to do to exist in the world and do what I like to do and be responsible.

"I have traveled many times this year I have all my vaccinations my booster and I have not gotten sick. The people I know Who have gotten sick with the shots lived through it. So I choose to listen to my doctor who went to medical school as opposed to listening to conspiracy theorist's online.

"Whatever you choose to do or whatever you believe I hope you all have a healthy safe and happy new year and I hope to see you out on tour in 2022

"We will get through this!"

Harley's comments come less than two weeks after his former bandmate, ex-CRO-MAGS frontman John Joseph, said that he beat COVID-19 by "investing" in his immune system. The 59-year-old, who is also an author, Ironman triathlete and proponent of a vegan, clean-living lifestyle, shared the news of his diagnosis in an Instagram video on December 20. He said at the time that he still wouldn't get the vaccine, claiming that "the unvaccinated ain't the problem. If you got three fucking shots in and you're still getting coronavirus, you need to ask yourself what the fuck is going on," he said. "You're entrusting your health with the ones who are profiting off of your illness," Joseph added. "Think about that for a fuckin' second. Think about the disconnect that it takes for you to entrust your health to these motherfuckers. All of them — Pfizer, J&J [Johnson & Johnson], Moderna, fuckin' AstraZeneca — fuckin' corrupt companies. Do some fuckin' research. Before they were all safe and effective; now the J&J, yeah, it causes blood clots. Wake up, people. You're being fuckin' played, and that's the reality of the situation."

Back in March 2020, at the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Joseph said that no one was addressing "the real issue" — that eating animals is bad for human health.

The new coronavirus is believed to have originated from one of Wuhan, China's many "wet markets" — so called because animals are often slaughtered directly in front of customers. These markets put people and live and dead animals — dogs, chickens, pigs, snakes, civets, and more — in constant close contact.

In the U.S., more than 62% of the population are currently fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, while more than 73% have received at least one shot, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

More than 822,000 people have died from the coronavirus in the U.S.

According to the CDC, unvaccinated people are 10 times more likely to test positive for COVID-19 compared to those who are vaccinated and had a booster shot. Unvaccinated people are also 20 times more likely to die from the virus.

According to the nonpartisan, nonprofit web site Fact Check, while vaccines reduce the probability of getting infected, they are not 100% effective, so there is a chance that an unvaccinated person could infect a vaccinated person — particularly the vulnerable, such as elderly and immunocompromised individuals. And, despite vaccination providing excellent protection against severe disease, a small proportion of vaccinated people still require ICU care.

In 2019, Joseph and drummer Mackie Jayson reached a settlement with Flanagan regarding ownership of the CRO-MAGS name. Flanagan is now performing under the name CRO-MAGS while Joseph and Jayson are performing as CRO-MAGS "JM".