'I beg you': Fox News' Neil Cavuto urges people to put politics aside and get vaccine

Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto is urging others to get vaccinated after testing positive for COVID-19.

In his first interview since his diagnosis Wednesday, the "Your World with Neil Cavuto" host shared a health update during his appearance on "MediaBuzz" Sunday.

"I'm feeling better," he said. "(My wife) tested positive for COVID as well soon after I did. I feel bad about that. The dog's OK, so hopefully that remains the case," Cavuto quipped.

While discussing the "hyper-politicized" nature of vaccines, Cavuto, who was previously diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and is fully vaccinated, acknowledged that taking the jab a "private decision." However, he still implored viewers to get vaccinated to protect others at risk.

"Half the cases on the breakthrough front are among the immunocompromised, people like me who have had and have MS or prior heart situations or cancer," he said.

Cavuto faced cancer in the 1980s and underwent open heart surgery in 2016.

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"In the end, if you can get vaccinated and think of someone else and think of what that could mean to them and their survivability from this, we'd all be better off."

Cavuto added that people should put their political views aside when it comes to vaccinations. "Take the political speaking points and toss them," he said. "I beg you, toss them."

It's an opinion he said has made him the subject of hate mail.

Several personalities on Fox News – including Cavuto, Bill Hemmer, Dana Perino, Bret Baier, and Greg Gutfeld – have been vaccinated and publicized their status. But their promotion of the COVID-19 vaccine differs from the messaging of some popular Fox News colleagues, including Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham.

"This is not about left or right. This is not about who's conservative or liberal. Last time I checked, everyone regardless of political persuasion is coming down with this...I'm begging you to think of what's good not only for yourself but for those around you."

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He concluded saying: "Life is way too short to be ignorant of the promise of something that is helping people worldwide. Stop the deaths. Stop the suffering. Please. Get vaccinated."

According to Johns Hopkins University data, the U.S.'s world-leading total of coronavirus deaths totaled over 700,000 as of Oct. 5 — almost double the 2020 tally.

Last week, Cavuto announced his breakthrough COVID-19 case in a statement released by Fox News, noting that his condition "would be a far more dire situation" if he had "not been vaccinated… with all my medical issues."

“It’s not, because I (got vaccinated) and I’m surviving this because I did," the journalist said.

In 1997, Cavuto was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, similar to CNN’s John King, who revealed the diagnosis on his “Inside Politics” show Tuesday.

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Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Neil Cavuto COVID: Fox News host urges vaccines after testing positive