Anti-Vaxxer Doctor Changes Stance, Bats For Vaccines After His 'Fan' Died Of COVID

A prominent Italian anti-vaxxer said he now "regrets" his earlier stance and has urged people to get jabbed as he did. Pasquale Bacco, a doctor, said he decided to change after seeing a boy, who was his fan, die of COVID.

Baccho, who has spoken in at least 300 anti-vaccination rallies, said he is now convinced that COVID kills and that vaccines are the solution, reported Business Insider, quoting local media reports.

“When I saw a 29-year-old boy from COVID die. He had on his mobile the videos of my rallies on the no vax boxes. The family told me he was a fan of mine. They didn't say it to me with anger, on the contrary, this hurt me even more," Bacco told Italian newspaper Corriere della Messogiorno, adding that the boy's death feels like his fault.

According to him, he was the "only young doctor with experience" among the anti-vax crowd. He said people devoured his speeches and what he said "was pure gold for people afraid and looking for certainty."

He added that he knew all the "internal mechanisms, from the language that had to be used to the donation system, to the associations." "This is why they now fear me and would like me dead," he told the news outlet.

He added that anti-vaccine leaders have "deaths on our conscience," and should be held accountable for their actions.

"We were really big bastards. I don't hide it. That's the truth," he said. "For this, I have asked for forgiveness from everyone, but that forgiveness is useless."

Bacco also admitted that he was, in part, motivated by the financial incentive of building a brand as a prominent anti-vaxxer.

"...Seeing kids choking makes you reassess everything," he said, adding he was deeply ashamed of his attitudes. "I try to remedy my mistakes, I tell, I reveal the background. I try to make people open their eyes. I got vaccinated, I am suspended from the Order of Doctors for 6 months and I have not appealed, because I feel I was wrong and I accept this thing," he said.

Bacco said there were many doctors who were anti-vaxxers but have not been suspended because they have been vaccinated. He also shared a video on his Instagram a few months ago, urging people to get vaccinated.