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HIP, HIP, HIPAA! Has Dak Prescott been vaccinated? Dallas Cowboys QB refuses to reveal info

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott refused to reveal his vaccination status and said he wasn't obliged to provide an answer because of HIPAA

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott after being probed by reporters about his vaccination status on July 23 said he wasn't obliged to provide an answer for the same. He said it was an individual choice to reveal if one has received the Covid-19 jab or to keep the information private. Prescott also highlighted there is a lot of misinformation swirling around regarding the vaccines. As for him, the QB said, he didn't have to tell anyone if he got the vaccine because of HIPAA. 

HIPAA is a federal law that was enacted in 1996 as a way to protect patient confidentiality.  As the CDC's website describes it, "a major goal is to ensure that individuals’ health information is properly protected while allowing the flow of health information needed to protect the public’s health and well-being." A couple of days ago Marjorie Taylor Greene came under fire for saying asking for vaccination status is a violation of HIPPA and was branded as 'ignorant' by people on the Internet. In 2020 after former president Donald Trump's Covid-19 diagnosis made headlines across the country, acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell accused reporters of HIPAA violation. “Reporters need to stop announcing protected health information. This is a violation of HIPAA rules," he tweeted. 

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Has Dak Prescott been vaccinated?

"I don't necessarily think that's exactly important. I think that's HIPAA," Prescott said with a smile when asked if he was vaccinated. Running back Ezekiel Elliot had received the vaccine on Thursday, July 22, after he educated himself about the virus. “But I understand where Zeke comes from. I understand everybody’s opinion and I think everybody has that right. We wouldn’t live in this country and we wouldn’t be in the position we’re in if that wasn’t the case. Obviously we all have to do a better job of educating ourselves, of educating our neighbors just on this whole pandemic, this whole situation, the vaccine," Prescott said. 

Prescott's vaccination status cannot be determined, however, HIPAA does not come into play during the NFL's regular seasons. Teams are required to provide a weekly injury report and in case they fail to do so, they can be fined by the NFL. The organization announced last week that games could be forfeited if there aren't enough players due to positive Covid-19 results. NFL announced both teams could be denied game checks even if one of the teams can't play. A source close to the franchise has said 70 percent of the players are fully vaccinated and Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones revealed there is still a handful of them who haven't taken the jab. 

Prescott citing HIPAA to protect his vaccination status is being heavily mocked on Twitter. "For the last time: asking me to select all the squares with traffic lights in them is a HIPAA violation," wrote a fan. "My new default response whenever I don’t want to answer a question is now going to be, “I can’t tell you. Its a HIPAA violation," another tweet read. "A dude saw me loading my car with like 30 slider buns and yelled out: “WOW HOW MANY BURGERS ARE YOU MAKING THIS WEEKEND?” And I feel like that’s a HIPAA violation," ESPN sports anchor Elle Duncan tweeted.