Conservative Radio Host Phil Valentine Regrets His Vaccine Stance, Now Fighting COVID in Hospital

twitter Phil Valentine

Conservative radio talk show host Phil Valentine has been hospitalized with COVID-19, and has since changed his stance on the vaccine.

The Tennessee native has said on multiple occasions that although he is not an anti-vaxxer, he did not want to get the COVID-19 one because he considered himself low risk.

But on Thursday, Phil's brother Mark Valentine said in a statement that his sibling has a new view.

"Phil contracted the COVID virus a little over a week ago & has since been hospitalized & is in very serious condition, suffering from COVID Pneumonia and the attendant side effects," Mark said. "He is in the hospital in the critical care unit breathing with assistance but is NOT on a ventilator."

"Phil would like for his listeners to know that while he has never been an 'anti-vaxxer' he regrets not being more vehemently 'Pro-Vaccine' and looks forward to being able to more vigorously advocate that position as soon as he is back on the air, which we all hope will be soon," he added.

Mark concluded the message, "PLEASE GO GET VACCINATED!"

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twitter Phil Valentine

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Also on Thursday, Mark updated listeners on WWTN-FM in Nashville about the challenges his brother has been facing.

"First of all, [Phil]'s regretful that he wasn't a more vocal advocate of the vaccination," Mark said. "For those listening, I know if he were able to tell you this, he would tell you, 'Go get vaccinated. Quit worrying about the politics. Quit worrying about all the conspiracy theories.' "

He explained the radio host is experiencing a "nonlinear recovery," which he said is "a medical term for a roller coaster ride and that's kind of what we've been on."

"It seemed to get worse at night, and then things get better and then they go back and forth and that sort of thing," Mark shared. "He is in very serious condition. He is breathing with assistance but he's not on a ventilator. He is in the critical care unit."

He added that his brother is "struggling to beat this thing" and "knows he can die."

Mark went on to say that Phil was "pro-information" and "pro-choice" when it came to the vaccine, adding, "He got this one wrong."

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In a blog post in December, Phil wrote, "I'm not an anti-vaxxer. I'm just using common sense. What are my odds of getting COVID? They're pretty low. What are my odds of dying from COVID if I do get it? Probably way less than one percent. I'm doing what everyone should do and that's my own personal health risk assessment. If you have underlying health issues you probably need to get the vaccine. If you're not at high risk of dying from COVID then you're probably safer not getting it."

His last Facebook post on July 15 was also in criticism of the vaccine, particularly Johnson & Johnson's.

Sharing an article about Johnson & Johnson's recall of some sunscreens due to low levels of benzene, a chemical that can cause cancer with repeated exposure, the radio host commented, "Ah, but I'm sure their vaccine is perfectly safe. Don't worry about it."

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Multiple large-scale studies have found that vaccines are safe. There is no scientific link between vaccines and autism, according to the Centers for Disease Control.