Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall (R), called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Biden administration to recognize natural immunity from a previous Wuhan coronavirus infection when implementing measures, like vaccine mandates, to combat the pandemic.
Marshall, who is a physician, made the remarks during his appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday. In the segment, he discussed the COVID-19 vaccine, vaccine mandates, booster shots, and natural immunity with host Chuck Todd.
“I think being honest with people, the CDC needs to acknowledge natural immunity,” Marshall said in the segment. “As a physician, I was never able to talk anybody into stopping smoking by a mandate or by trying to argue with them. It was by being honest and communicating with them. I would just encourage all those folks who have not gotten the vaccine yet to talk to their doctor about it.”
“Ninety-two percent of Americans have some level of immunity to this virus based upon the CDC website,” Marshall continued. “The messaging coming out of the White House has to acknowledge natural immunity and be honest with America.”
However, in the interview, Marshall urged senior citizens and those who have underlying health care conditions to get a booster shot even if they have natural immunity. But, he described federal vaccine mandates as “unconstitutional.”
"Mandates don't work," Marshall said. "I'm just against any type of federal mandates of any type, especially an unconstitutional federal vaccine mandate. Again, think from the practical standpoint of what that's going to do to the economy, inflation."
Todd then pressed Marshall on if he thinks that Americans should get coronavirus rather than getting vaccinated.
“Let me ask you this. You have talked about natural immunity. You’ve talked about natural immunity a lot. Would you advise somebody to get the virus rather than get the vaccine?” Todd asked.
“Of course not,” Marshall replied. “But, 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 noted that doctors should check a patient's levels of COVID-19 antibodies and “take into account what their healthcare situation is.”
WATCH: "Shame on you," Sen. @RogerMarshallMD (R-Kan.) says to senior citizens who haven't gotten a booster. #MTP pic.twitter.com/qLECfxXQi4
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) December 12, 2021
In October, as I covered, a group of Republican lawmakers introduced the “Natural Immunity is Real Act,” to require government agencies to “truthfully present, and incorporate, the consideration of natural immunity as it pertains to COVID-19,” and that nothing in the Act should “be construed to allow for, or authorize, a Federal vaccination mandate.”
In a press release announcing the legislation, Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) said “the Biden administration must ‘follow the science’ and be open, honest, and transparent about the millions of Americans who have natural immunity against the COVID-19 virus.”
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