Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott Refuses to Disclose Vaccination Status: “I Think It’s HIPAA”

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated.

OXNARD, Calif .– Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott would not say Friday if he’s vaccinated against the coronavirus, saying people have an individual choice and there is a lot of misinformation about vaccines. However, Prescott said he didn’t have to tell anyone he was vaccinated due to HIPAA.

The cowboys of running back Ezekiel Elliott said Thursday he had been vaccinated after learning about the virus. Elliott also said that growing up her family had not been vaccinated. Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said he didn’t believe in coronavirus vaccinations until he spoke with his personal doctor about what vaccinations can do.

Prescott’s response to why he wouldn’t talk about his own vaccination plans raised concerns on social media that the quarterback didn’t understand HIPAA.

“I think it’s HIPAA,” Prescott. “But I understand where Zeke is from. I understand everyone’s opinion, and I think everyone has this right. We wouldn’t be living in this country and we wouldn’t be where we are if it wasn’t. Obviously we all need to do a better job of educating ourselves, of educating our neighbors just on this whole pandemic, this whole situation, the vaccine. “

HIPAA, which stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, protects the confidentiality of a patient’s health record. It does not make it illegal to apply for a person’s immunization status, as federal law only applies to businesses and healthcare professionals.

HIPAA does not come into play during the NFL regular season, as teams are required to provide a weekly injury report. If a team doesn’t report an injury, they can be fined by the NFL.

Last week, the NFL announced that teams stand at risk of losing a game if they cannot field enough players to play due to positive tests for the coronavirus. Players from both teams would not get play control if this happened, even if one team could not play.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said there were a handful of players who had not been vaccinated, with one source claiming the franchise had nearly 70% of its players fully vaccinated. Team officials said that number will increase over time.

“But obviously there are conspiracy theories and so much going on out there right now,” Prescott said. “So, like I said, everyone is welcome for their opinion. This thing wouldn’t be an option if it wasn’t. So we have to keep doing that, talk to each other, answer some of the questions people may have, try to give hope where there may be fear, or understand this thing. It is about educating ourselves and knowing as much as possible about what we put in our body.

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