Broadway legend Andrew Lloyd Webber (“Phantom of the Opera,” “Jesus Christ Superstar”) denounced the non-vaccinated as “selfish” people akin to that of lethal drunk drivers.
During an interview with the BBC, Webber said that not getting the vaccine would be like killing someone after drinking and driving.
“I do think it’s selfish, because, I mean, look at it this way, I mean, you could just say, I would like to go out and have a drink tonight and drive home, and accidentally I kill somebody,” the 73-year-old composer said.
Webber then touted the science behind vaccines, noting his participation in the Oxford vaccine trial.
“Now, I mean, it seems to me that nobody’s going to go out and deliberately infect anybody with Covid, but it’s completely wrong if we know the science. I was on the Oxford vaccine trial last year for this reason,” he said. “We know that the vaccines are very effective and we know that they are really, broadly speaking, unbelievably safe. It just seems to me that it’s just not – I think the Queen put it rather well, you’ve got to think of other people in all of this.”
When the BBC challenged Webber on his “very stark comparison” between hesitant vaxxers and drunk drivers, Webber was unwavering in his position.
“Well, I don’t know. I think you could argue it’s your choice. I feel very strongly now that there are really now people who have got to realise that by not having the vaccine they’re affecting an enormous number of people’s jobs and livelihoods,” he said.
Webber made no mention of the politicians who some have argued are leading the way in pushing vaccine hesitancy by still wearing masks despite the overwhelming evidence of the vaccine’s efficacy.
In the United States, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), for instance, has kept her mask mandate in place on the House floor despite vaccinations and despite the CDC’s recent guidelines. In a letter sent to Pelosi, House Republicans argued that 75% of House Republicans have been vaccinated, which would allow for normal voting procedures to resume.
“In accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance released on May 13, 2021 we urge you to immediately return to normal voting procedures and end mandatory mask requirements in the House of Representatives,” the letter stated. “CDC guidance states fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in any setting except where required by governmental or workplace mandate. It is time to update our own workplace regulations. Every member of Congress has had the opportunity to be vaccinated, and you have indicated about 75 percent have taken advantage of this opportunity. The United States Congress must serve as a model to show the country we can resume normal life through vaccination. Let’s follow the science and get back to work.”
According to the CDC:
If you are fully vaccinated, you can resume activities that you did prior to the pandemic. … Fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance. … If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, find a vaccine.
Related: ‘Mask-erpiece Theater’: GOP Lawmakers Rip Pelosi For Requiring Masks Despite CDC Decision