By: ManjuChandran
RAPPER M.I.A has stirred up social media after saying that she would “choose death” over getting a coronavirus vaccine shot.
Mathangi Arulpragasam, who is better known as M.I.A, also tweeted that she regretted mandatorily vaccinate her 11-year-old son Ikhyd when he started school, terming it the “hardest thing”.
The 44-year-old star went on to post: “If I have to choose the vaccine or chip I’m gonna choose death – YALA [You Always Live Again].”
If I have to choose the vaccine or chip I'm gonna choose death – YALA
— M.I.A (@MIAuniverse) March 25, 2020
While one tweeter commented that M.I.A’s stance was “beyond irresponsible and reckless”, another added that her tweet “disappointed me more than your last 2 albums”.
Another user, @Sorrrelish, said: “I’m at greater risk during this pandemic because of lung issues sustained because my parents didn’t vaccinate me against the measles and I caught it as an adult.
“I lost a year of my life and it took five years for my health to stabilise. Vax your kids.”
M.I.A, who pulled down her initial tweets, responded to critics with philosophy that was widely panned.
“Most of science is in bed with business,” she said.
“Business is in bed with banks, banks are in bed with tech, techs in bed with us, we’re in bed with corona. Corona is in bed with science. So on… the best is prevention.”
On her getting her son vaccinated as per rules, she said: “Yeah in America they made me vaccinate my child before the school admission. It was the hardest thing.
“To not have choice over this as a mother. I never wanna feel that again. He was so sick for 3 weeks then Docs had to pump him with antibiotics to reduce the fever from 3 vaxins.”
She continued: “As an adult you have choice! By then you’ve built your immune system. You have a choice as an ‘adult’ wishing you all good health.”
Even as the US recorded over 200 COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday (25), M.I.A added: “Don’t panic you are ok. You are not gonna die. You can make it without stressing the medical systems. Just breathe. You are going to be ok. You can make it through without jumping in the frying pan. You are fine. All the vaccines you’ve already had is enough to see you through.”
Don't panic you are ok. You are not gonna die. You can make it without stressing the medical systems. Just breathe. You are going to be ok. You can make it through without jumping in the frying pan. You are fine. All the vaccines you ve already had is enough to see you through.
— M.I.A (@MIAuniverse) March 25, 2020
As critics slammed M.I.A’s “shocking” attitude, one requested: “Please, stop talking, be responsible to the people who follow you.”
One tweeter, Andrew Hodge, called her the world’s “latest covidiot”.
https://twitter.com/Ahodgelton/status/1242816537754505218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1242816537754505218&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.easterneye.biz%2Fm-i-a-sparks-outrage-saying-she-would-choose-death-over-vaccine%2F
Another user wanted action against the rapper for spreading “incorrect information”.
Is there a way to report accounts that are sending incorrect information?
— Katherine Muldoon, PhD (she/her) (@K_Muldoon) March 25, 2020
By Thursday (26) afternoon, the US had over 69,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with at least 1,050 deaths.
