KENTUCKY — People who already had COVID-19 can still get it again, albeit in rare cases. Even those who have been vaccinated against the virus can get it.

That isn’t stopping U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) from pushing back against coronavirus safety measures.  

“I’ve had several friends who have died from this disease. It is a serious disease. But for those who have survived and for those who have the vaccine, you now have immunity and you don’t have to wear a mask anymore,” Paul said during a press event in Louisville on Friday. “And this is good news. We should be moving forward and we should be encouraging people to take the vaccine so then they can feel comfortable that they’re not going to get it.”

His words come in direct conflict with the advice of public health professionals, though, like Dr. Anthony Fauci.

“We’re not saying 'do this indefinitely.' We’re not saying 'this is the way it’s going to have to be all the time,'” Fauci said on CNN Thursday night. “We’re saying that if you look at the data and look at the science, there is a chance that you could get in trouble if you pull back too prematurely.”

The two clashed over Fauci’s advice in Washington on Thursday.

Paul hasn’t supported most public health restrictions from the start, and he said now that cases are going down and vaccinations are going up, it’s especially time to return to normal.

“And I think Dr. Fauci is probably well-intended, but I think he’s overkill,” Paul said. “He needs to dial it back a little bit.”

A study published in The Lancet this week found reinfections are rare, but they can happen, especially in people 65 and older. Researchers followed the testing of 533,000 people during two surges last year, finding 72 people were infected twice.

Even vaccinated people can still get the disease and require a hospital stay, like what happened with at least one resident of a nursing home in eastern Kentucky this week.

“It is absolutely imperative that all persons, whether they’re in long-term care facilities or in the general public, continue to practice the public health measures we’ve talked about,” Dr. Steven Stack said.

Those who were vaccinated against the coronavirus showed symptoms at a lower rate than those were not vaccinated.

Despite that, Paul insists that coronavirus restrictions should be pulled back.

“The thing is, in a country of 330 million, you’re going to have some people with a vaccine that doesn’t work,” Paul said. “I mean, obviously they say it’s not exactly perfect. But the question is is do you want to wear a mask for the next ten years if it’s not 99.99 or if it’s 99.98 (effective)? Shouldn’t each individual ultimately get to make their decisions on this?”