Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) has said he does not plan on getting a COVID-19 booster shot despite state health officials urging all eligible people to receive the additional vaccine dose.
“I’m perfectly healthy, and my doctor hasn’t told me I need to get it,” Stitt said on Monday of the booster shot, according to the The Oklahoman.
The governor’s decision comes as the spread of the omicron variant has driven an uptick in infections across the country.
On Tuesday, the state of Oklahoma reported 2,443 new cases and a seven-day rolling average of 1,462 daily cases, data from the Oklahoma State Department of Health showed.
The University of Oklahoma’s chief COVID-19 officer, Dr. Dale Bratzler, said that booster shots provide 25 times more protection than not receiving the additional dose, according to the Oklahoman.
The state’s health department has also repeatedly encouraged everyone eligible to receive their booster shots as well as their initial vaccines.
“We urge Oklahomans to get vaccinated, and for those who are fully vaccinated and eligible, get a booster dose for additional protection as we continue to learn more about the transmissibility of this new variant. Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones against severe illness and hospitalization due to COVID-19,” interim Oklahoma Health Commissioner Keith Reed said in a statement earlier this month amid growing fears of the omicron variant.
In July 2020, Stitt became was the first governor to contract the virus.
When the governor announced his COVID-19 diagnosis, he said he did not “really second-guess anything” when asked if he regretted not wearing a mask often.
Stitt has also been involved in the fight to stop the Biden administration from mandating COVID-19 vaccines for the National Guard.
The Hill has reached out to Stitt for comment.