Drummer Pete Parada says he has dropped his association with the band The Offspring because he has not been vaccinated for COVID-19.
Parada made the announcement on Tuesday in an Instagram slideshow.
"Since I am unable to comply with what is increasingly becoming an industry mandate, it has recently been decided that I am unsafe to be around, in the studio, and on tour," the drummer wrote on Instagram. "I mention this because you won't be seeing me at these upcoming shows. I also want to share my story so that anyone else experiencing the agony and isolation of getting left behind right now knows they're not entirely alone."
Parada says his decision not to get vaccinated was for medical reasons. He says he suffers from Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare immune disorder that attacks the nervous system. The drummer said he made the decision not to get vaccinated in consultation with his doctor.
"Given my personal medical history and the side-effect profile of these jabs, my doctor has advised me not to get a shot at this time," Parada wrote. "I caught the virus over a year ago, it was mild for me — so I am confident I'd be able to handle it again, but I'm not so certain I'd survive another post-vaccination round of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, which dates back to my childhood and has evolved to be progressively worse over my lifetime."
Parada says that despite his departure, he has no ill will towards The Offspring.
"I have no negative feelings toward my band," Parada wrote. "They're doing what they believe is best for them, while I am doing the same. Wishing the entire Offspring family all the best as they get back at it! I'm heartbroken not to be seeing my road community, and I will miss connecting with the fans more than I can express in words."
Parada has been with the punk band since 2007, about 20 years after its founding. He's one of several drummers who have joined and left The Offspring through the decades.
"I hope we can learn to make room for all the perspectives and fears that are happening currently," Prada wrote. "Let's avoid the unfortunate tendency to dominate, dehumanize and shout down at each other. The hesitant population is not a monolithic group. All voices deserve to be heard."