Matthew McConaughey says he's not 'against vaccinating kids at all' after backlash

Matthew McConaughey
(Image credit: Noam Galai/Getty Images for HISTORY)

Matthew McConaughey is looking to clarify his position on vaccinating children against COVID-19 after facing criticism for revealing he's "not vaccinating mine" yet.

The actor, who has floated a run for governor of Texas, told The New York Times this week he's not yet in favor of mandating COVID-19 vaccines for younger children and that "right now, I'm not vaccinating mine" because "I still want to find out more information." After his quote sparked backlash, McConaughey criticized media coverage of the comments on Instagram and clarified he was specifically talking about mandating vaccines for children between the ages of five and 11. McConaughey also said his oldest son has been vaccinated against COVID-19.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.