Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott downplays his vaccination status: ‘I think that’s HIPAA’
Some NFL players are still refusing to admit whether they have taken the vaccine, and Dak Prescott is one of them.
The Dallas Cowboys star was asked about his vaccination status during a press conference on Friday. He downplayed the issue, saying it's not essential to talk about it and that's HIPAA.
HIPAA is a federal law that prohibits healthcare providers and insurance companies from sharing sensitive patient information without permission.
However, HIPAA does not apply to Prescott in this case, as it doesn't apply to individuals asked to disclose their personal information. The quarterback had said a month earlier that he would not disclose his vaccination status.
Did Prescott take the vaccine?
While it's impossible to know whether Prescott took the jab, we may have an idea.
A month ago, Tad Prescott, Dak's brother, received a message on Twitter about a kid who wouldn't get vaccinated unless the quarterback did the same. Tad's response was, "Well, it's time for his vaccination."
Prescott may be trying to protect teammates who are refusing to get vaccinated. But as the franchise quarterback of the NFL's most popular franchise, Prescott could have a positive impact on the community if he comes out publicly and says he took the vaccine. It could persuade those on the fence to follow suit and get vaccinated.
Prescott also mentioned Ezekiel Elliott during his response to the question. The running back mentioned during a press conference a day before that he grew up in a house that didn't believe in vaccination, but he took the COVID-19 shot to protect himself and his teammates.
Elliott tested positive for COVID-19 during the 2020 offseason.
NFL vaccine policy controversy
Since the NFL rolled out its new policy on COVID-19 outbreaks among unvaccinated players, a few stars have voiced their opinion against it.
DeAndre Hopkins, Cole Beasley and Leonard Fournette tweeted that the NFL is forcing players to get the vaccine against their will. Hopkins and Beasley even talked about retirement.
The NFL has made it clear that the league won't reschedule any game due to a COVID-19 outbreak among unvaccinated players. The team responsible for the outbreak will forfeit the game and there will also be financial ramifications for both the team and the players.