For the past four months, Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard have been in Central America with their 11-month-old baby Israel.
The couple is performing missionary work in an undisclosed nation (they’re believed to be in stationed in El Salvador), but while the Dillards are keeping mum on their exact location, they’re definitely living in a part of the world that’s being profoundly affected by the Zika virus.
Jill and Derick briefly returned to Arkansas last month, and it initially looked as though they planned to remain in the States in order to decrease their chances of contracting the mosquito-borne illness, which causes severe birth defects in the children of infected mothers.
The Dillards religious beliefs forbid them to use birth control, and rumors that Jill is pregnant with her second child have been circulating for several weeks.
To the surprise of many, however, the couple returned to Central America after spending just a few days in their hometown, presumably to film scenes for the upcoming TLC reality series Jill & Jessa: Counting On.
Now, some fans are concerned that Jill and Derick aren’t taking threat of contracting Zika seriously:
Derick recently posted the above photo, along with a caption that’s drawn criticism from many of his social media followers:
“I knew I could count on Walmart to have what I need to combat that Zika Virus! #beprepared #zika,” Derick wrote.
Derick is clearly joking, and that’s exactly what has some fans worried.
Those living in Zika hot spots have been advised to avoid getting pregnant for at least two years.
Even if the rumors that Jill is currently expecting turn out to be untrue, it’s very unlikely that the Dillards will go another two years without having a child.
Especially since the couple is almost certainly not heeding all the advice of health experts, it’s not surprising that Derick is being criticized for making flippant remarks about a very serious disease.
Here’s hoping he and Jill are taking their preventative measures more seriously than they seem to be.
