Matthew McConaughey Clarifies Stance on Vaccine Mandate for Kids, Believes Vaccines Can End Pandemic

Matthew McConaughey has three kids aged 13, 11, and 8, who are eligible to get the Pfizer vaccine, but the celebrity father said he does not support a vaccine mandate for kids at this point until he has more information about it.

Speaking with writer Andrew Ross Sorkin of the New York Times, the Oscar-winning actor said that he and his wife, Camila Alves, are fully vaccinated. However, he pointed out that it was their own choice to get the jab and not because "someone told me I had."

For his kids, McConaughey said that he and Alves had decided not to go for the vaccination "right now." The Hollywood superstar acknowledged that he is in the position to do this, as well as quarantine for weeks or get tested frequently, if necessary. But, he also sees that some families do not have the same privilege.

Not an Anti-Vaxxer

McConaughey clarified that he is not against vaccination per se and believes that the vaccines will help end the pandemic. He also said that everyone who believes that the pandemic is a scam for people with an agenda to establish a vaccine mandate should "get off that narrative."

However, the Pfizer vaccine for children received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and clearance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) "just days ago." For the dad of three, holding off on a vaccine mandate for his kids makes more sense since the science has been "changing as we go."

"I still want to find out more information," adding, "There will come a time where you're going to have to roll the dice one way or the other and go: 'Where are the numbers in my favor?'"

Following McConaughey's statements, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy reacted and said parents must recognize that the virus is still harmful to children, and thousands had been in hospitals because of COVID-19. The vaccine trials have shown a 90 percent protective outcome for the younger age group, and it is "remarkably safe."

Murthy also said that the vaccination rollout for children would allow parents to talk to their doctors and gather more information about its safety and efficacy in the same way that the adults were able to see that getting the jab would be the right call.

Who are Matthew McConaughey's Children?

Levi, Vida, and Livingston have been spending the pandemic cooped up in their house in Texas because the McConaughey household has a high-risk individual in the family. The actor's 90-year-old mom with comorbidities lives with them. When someone needs to go out, McConaughey said they take extreme measures to ensure that person returns home safely, but, for the most part, his family hasn't left their house since the pandemic started. They do interviews remotely as much as possible.

According to Alves, their children have taken up photography as they remain quarantined. When McConaughey needed new photos for a magazine feature, his children took the images since he didn't want to go out for a normal photoshoot and risk his family's health.

The images the children took of their father were printed on People Magazine, and McConaughey said that he's very proud of their talents. He also thinks it's very cool that Levi, Vida, and Livingston are getting quite good at taking portraits.