Sunny Hostin Claps Back at Jedediah Bila After Vaccine Argument on ‘The View’: “You Are An Anti-Vaxxer”

Over the course of Season 25, The View host Sunny Hostin has made it clear that she’s not willing to let misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine spread on the show. So when former host Jedediah Bila joined virtually to share her opinions about why the vaccine is ineffective, not only did Hostin shut her down on air — she also shared a whole follow-up clapping back at her former coworker. Taking to Instagram after the argument unfurled on Tuesday’s (Nov. 16) taping, Hostin laid out the science and reasoning behind the vaccine, aiming right at Bila’s arguments.

The whole debacle began with a question from Joy Behar, who was tasked with addressing the elephant in the room. For the entirety of Season 25, old co-hosts from the show have been brought back as a part of Flashback Friday. Bila, it seems, was invited — but her invitation was rescinded when ABC realized she was unvaccinated, therefore not meeting their safety protocols.

“You were supposed to join us in the studios weeks ago, but you couldn’t because ABC has a very strict policy: you can’t get into this building unless you’re fully vaccinated. Everybody in this room knows that and is vaccinated. But you have made a conscious decision not to get the vaccine,” Behar said. “Why didn’t you get it?”

Bila went on to claim that she has a “medical exemption” to the vaccine, and that she’s “not a candidate” for the shot. Further, she said she has “sky-high, multi-tiered, multi-faceted natural immunity,” and that “this vaccine poses a greater risk than a benefit.” But once Bila was finished explaining why she, personally, hasn’t received the vaccine, she went on to claim that it’s ineffective, also tearing into mandates.

“However, I do oppose mandates,” she said. “I oppose them on the fact that, let’s look at the science. This is a vaccine that was created to prevent severity of disease and prevent hospitalizations. Now, we can have a whole debate on that in itself. But the vaccine does not prevent you from getting COVID, and it does not prevent you from transmitting COVID.”

Both Hostin and Behar snapped back at their former coworker, attempting to shed a light on why her arguments were factually incorrect.

“We’ve been friends for awhile, I just don’t understand why you would choose to prioritize your personal freedom over the health and safety of others,” Hostin said at the time. “I just really don’t think we should allow this kind of misinformation. We’ve had the United States Surgeon General debunk everything that you’ve just said, and I just don’t think we should allow this kind of misinformation on our air. I’m really sorry, my friend.”

Since their argument on live TV, Hostin has gone on to further her points debunking Bila’s arguments. In a five-part statement posted to Instagram on Tuesday night, Hostin backed up her stance. She began by debunking Bila’s claim that she had “natural immunity.”

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“There is no such thing,” Hostin writes. “Those who have recovered from COVID-19 who have not been vaccinated might have more than double the chance of reinfection than those who have been inoculated, according to a new study published by the CDC.”

Next up, Hostin shredded Bila’s argument that the vaccine can’t prevent you from getting COVID, suggesting it’s still highly effective.

“Covid vaccines don’t stop infection and transmission in 100 percent of cases. No vaccine does,” Hostin acknowledged. “However, studies continue to show that the vaccines prevent more than 50 percent of infections.”

During her rant, Bila also attempted to defend herself by saying she wasn’t “anti-vaxx.” Hostin shaded the former host by including a slide with Merriam-Webster’s definition of an anti-vaxxer, which includes folks who oppose the mandate of vaccination. “So yeah,” Hostin writes, “you are an anti-vaxxer.”

Closing out her “Tuesday evening lesson”, Hostin took a broader look at Bila’s stance on the vaccine.

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“I’m not going to question someone who claims they have a medical condition that not only prevents them from getting the Covid 19 vaccine but also allegedly poses a risk to their health,” she writes. “Medical exemptions for Covid vaccines are increasingly rare. Over 760k people have died. Choosing ‘natural immunity’ over vaccination runs counter to every principle of public health. It makes no sense to risk severe illness and death — not to mention spreading the virus to others. Something you would know if you followed the science.”

Scroll up to watch the full segment. The View airs weekdays on ABC at 11/10c.

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