The Conversation (0)
Clara Hill
Feb 25, 2021
Blake McCoy made the controversial statement on Tuesday
Blake McCoy/ Facebook
A local news anchor has been suspended after saying he was “annoyed” that obsese people were being prioritised for the coronavirus vaccine.
Blake McCoy, who works for the Fox 5 news station in Washington DC, was condemned online for the “hurtful” and “disgusting” tweet posted on Tuesday.
“I’m annoyed that obese people of all ages get priority vaccine access before all essential workers,” he wrote.
“When most stayed home, we went into work every day last March, April, May and every day since putting ourselves and our loved ones at risk. Vaccinate essential workers. Then obese.”
This is factually inaccurate. As I understand it, DC is currently vaccinating a wide variety of essential workers a… https://t.co/fW232KfOq3— Anthony Michael Kreis (@Anthony Michael Kreis) 1614107944
@BlakeMcCoyDC the entitlement of white men in America. #blakemccoydc #blakemccoy #douchebag #fox5dc https://t.co/4ib2f9eLgD— Eric (@Eric) 1614190765
Imagine traveling this much during a pandemic and still thinking you deserve priority for receiving the vaccine… https://t.co/JcoiWaeIed— Creatina Turner (@Creatina Turner) 1614122645
His tweet came after 15 states in the US identified obesity as one of the qualifying conditions for an early vaccine
People with body mass index (BMI) above 30 at potential risk of getting severe Covid complications, according to the CDC.
A spokesperson for TV station WTTG, of which FOX 5 News is a part, said McCoy “has been suspended pending further review”.
Within hours of his tweet, the news anchor was forced to issue an apology.
Read more: What’s the greatest gift we can give during the pandemic?