Update on Thursday, November 11, 2021:
Matthew McConaughey clarified via Instagram Stories that his eldest child is vaccinated, writing, “When asked my opinion on the subject of children and vaccination mandates, I stated, ‘I couldn’t mandate it for kids just yet.’ What was not clear is that I was referring specifically to the 5-11 year-old mandate. What is NOT true … is that I am against vaccinating children at all. This is false. In fact, our eldest 13-year-old son, Levi, is fully vaccinated for COVID-19. I appreciate the ear and clarity. Just keep living.”
Original story on Wednesday, November 10, 2021:
Airing his hesitations. Matthew McConaughey has three children and is reluctant for them to get a COVID-19 vaccine — despite getting the shot himself.
“Right now, I’m not vaccinating mine,” the actor, 52, said during the DealBook Online Summit on Tuesday, November 9, of Levi, 13, Vida, 11, and Livingston, 8. “I’ll tell you that.”
The Dallas Buyers Club star and his wife, Camila Alves, are fully vaccinated, McConaughey clarified.
“I didn’t do it because someone told me I had to — [I] chose to do it,” the Oscar winner explained. “Do I think that there’s any kind of scam or conspiracy theory? Hell no. We all got to get off that narrative. There’s not a conspiracy theory on the vaccines.”
That being said, the Texas native said that he would not support mandate vaccines for children, adding, “I couldn’t mandate having to vaccinate the younger kids. I still want to find out more information.”
Earlier this month, the CDC recommended the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11 after studying the effects on over 2,000 children. The most common side effect was a sore arm.
The True Detective alum’s comments came one year after he addressed rumors that he was considering running for Texas governor.
“I don’t know. I mean, that wouldn’t be up to me. It would be up to the people more than it would me,” McConaughey told political commentator Hugh Hewitt in November 2020. “Look, politics seems to be a broken business to me right now. And when politics redefines its purpose, I could be a hell of a lot more interested.”
That same month, the Interstellar star told James Corden that he had “no plans to do that right now.”
The Golden Globe winner explained at the time: “As I move forward in life, yes, I am gonna consider leadership roles where I can be most useful. I’d love to. I’m doing that regardless.”
While the producer has not made his political affiliation public, he made headlines in October 2020 for saying America should come together regardless of whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden won the election.
“Whoever is going to be commander in chief and president of the United States of America, that’s not something, hopefully, that we’re going to deny or be able to argue,” the How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days star said during a Fox & Friends appearance at the time. “It’s time to get constructive and not deny the fact of whatever’s happened and embrace the situation.”
