Republican gubernatorial nominee James “Duke” Aiona has been vaccinated against the flu, and he says the media misconstrued his comments that vaccines may not be more beneficial than harmful.

Aiona, the incumbent lieutenant governor, in the past has urged Hawaii residents to get themselves and their children vaccinated.

But he told KITV last week he hadn’t been vaccinated himself and was unconvinced that vaccines are more beneficial than harmful.

On Monday, an Aiona spokesman said the lieutenant governor was referring only to flu vaccines.

And Aiona said in a statement that he received a flu shot Monday in Hilo, that he had received other vaccinations as a child and that he was not philosophically opposed to vaccinations.