EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to include the financial aspect of the spokesman agreement.
HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — Holland Hospital has ended a relationship Holland native and Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins over his comments this week related to COVID-19.
Cousins said this week he has no plans to get the COVID-19 vaccine, which has frustrated his coach and others, according to CBS Sports. Hospital videos featuring him date back to 2017. WHTC has asked him for a response to the hospital’s decision.
In a statement subsequent to this story’s initial publication, hospital officials noted that Cousins wasn’t fired, as he “is not on our payroll therefore he was not fired. We are discontinuing our sponsorship agreement.”
After WHTC reported that Cousins was not paid for his sponsorship work, hospital officials further clarified that money had been paid, under the terms of the contract between the hospital and Cousins, but the payment amount was not disclosed to WHTC.
Holland Hospital issued the following statement on Friday afternoon:
“As the trusted health care leader along the lakeshore, we are committed to providing accurate, timely health information and guidance based on guidelines from the CDC and medical experts.
While we acknowledge that each person is entitled to their own viewpoints, those who speak on our behalf must support messages that align with the hospital’s position on matters of vital importance to individual and community health.
For this reason, Holland Hospital will discontinue using Kirk Cousins as our spokesperson for now. We are proud of our association with Kirk. He embodies many values we respect and share as part of our work culture.
However, we must be certain that our communications about COVID vaccination are consistent and unequivocal.
The clear recommendation from the CDC and leading medical experts is that the COVID vaccine is safe, effective and the best defense against becoming infected with the virus. Evidence also indicates that vaccinated individuals may be less likely to carry and transmit the virus to others including children, family members and friends.
For these reasons, Holland Hospital has and will continue to strongly recommend the COVID vaccine to those who are eligible to receive it. It is important that Holland Hospital maintain the trusted reputation we have earned for providing consistent, truthful information and evidence-based health care guidance.”
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