The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced Wednesday that it would not require players to get coronavirus vaccinations before returning to play after the league suspended its season due to the global pandemic.
The decision was met with backlash from some fans who said they were concerned about the potential side effects of the shots.
In a statement released Wednesday, the NBA said that while it had considered requiring players to receive the vaccines, it ultimately decided against it.
“We recognize that many people have concerns regarding the use of any vaccine, especially given the current state of scientific understanding around the safety and efficacy of these products,” the NBA wrote. “However, we believe that our collective experience with previous outbreaks makes us confident that the risk associated with playing basketball remains low.”
The
The league suspended its season last month after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. The NBA Players Association recommended that teams suspend their seasons until further notice.
The NBA’s announcement comes just days after the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
The NBA previously mandated that players get flu shots prior to the start of each season. But the league stopped doing so in 2014 after a number of players reported experiencing headaches and dizziness following the shots.
The NBA did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
2. NBA Won’T Require COVID-19 Shots Before Returning To Play
The National Basketball Association says it won’t require players to get coronvirus shots before returning to play after suspending its season over the global pandemic.The league suspended its season March 11 after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus. The NBA Players Association recommends teams suspend their seasons until more information is known about the disease.The NBA said Wednesday that while it had considered mandating players get the shots, it ultimately decided against the move.“We recognize that…
