'Unfollow Me': Fox News' Bret Baier Defends Himself From Conservative Attacks for Getting Vaccine

Fox News host Bret Baier defended himself from conservative backlash on Friday after he shared images online depicting his coronavirus vaccine shot.

On Friday, Baier shared photo of his vaccination to Instagram, writing: "Vaccinated & ready to go. Thanks to the great staff in DC—it was very smooth. The nurse said they'll see one thousand DC residents today at this one location. #grateful #vaccinated."

However, conservatives quickly disparaged Baier's social media post, with some accusing him of being "paid" to promote the vaccine and others claiming that he had "poison" injected into his body.

"Where is the coercion? I posted a photo," Baier responded. "There's no force or threat. You can unfollow me if you don't like to see it, right? It's all a choice. Was former President Trump using coercion when he encouraged people to get a vaccine on air after he did?"

John Basham, a retired Army veteran and former elected local official, tweeted: "I Have A TON Of Respect For @BretBaier As A Journalist. But, In This I Think He's Wrong! People Shouldn't Be Coerced Into A Shot They May Not Need. Young & Healthy People Have Next To No Risk From #COVID19...But The Vaccine Is Experimental & Unknown! Saying Otherwise Is Wrong."

Baier pushed back on the criticism, saying: "Thanks. You have your choice, I have mine."

"I trust medical experts I know who told me to get it as soon as I could," he tweeted. "I have two sons who are too young to get it-but one is vulnerable from heart surgeries. I chose to post the pic not b/c of CNN but b/c of this discussion & my choice."

Baier also defended himself after a user alleged that his vaccine photos were staged for profit.

"I promise you I had a real shot today. No conspiracy here. Thanks. Have a good weekend," he tweeted.

Fox News host Tucker Carlson drew backlash earlier this week for questioning the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. On Thursday, he claimed that Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla "came out and seemed to suggest today that, actually, the dose that Pfizer is administering doesn't work. The CEO of Pfizer just announced that two doses probably aren't enough."

Some critics argued that Carlson was delivering false information to his millions of viewers, and that Bourla only said booster shots would be needed to continue protection from the disease.

During an interview with CNN, Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden, called Carlson's remarks a "typical crazy conspiracy theory."

"Why would we not tell people if [the vaccines] doesn't work? Look at the data. The data are overwhelming," Fauci added. "In the three vaccines that have been approved for use authorization—the J&J, the Pfizer and the Moderna—you had 30,000, 44,000 and 40,000 people in the clinical trial with an overwhelming signal of efficacy."

Newsweek reached out to Fox News for comment.