The Anti-Vax Agenda Is Being Driven By A Minority Of Right-Wing Republicans

 

From the website of Paul Krugman.

Poll Shows The Public Overwhelmingly Disagrees With RFK,Jr On Vaccines

 

The charts above are from the CBS News / YouGov Poll -- done between August 29th and September 2nd of a nationwide sample of 2,344 adults, with a 2.3 point margin of error.

We Could Have Avoided This Measles Outbreak

 

The following is part of an article in The Washington Post:

This year is not yet one-third over, yet measles cases in the United States are on track to be the worst since a massive outbreak in 2019. At the same time, anti-vaccine activists are recklessly sowing doubts and encouraging vaccine hesitancy. Parents who leave their children unvaccinated are risking not only their health but also the well-being of those around them.

Measles is one of the most contagious human viruses — more so than the coronavirus — and is spread through direct or airborne contact when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. The virus can hang in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has left an area. It can cause serious complications, including pneumonia, encephalitis and death, especially in unvaccinated people. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one person infected with measles can infect 9 out of 10 unvaccinated individuals with whom they come in close contact.

But measles can be prevented with the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine; two doses are 97 percent effective. When 95 percent or more of a community is vaccinated, herd immunity protects the whole. Unfortunately, vaccination rates are falling. . . .

 Vaccination coverage among U.S. kindergartners has slipped from 95.2 percent during the 2019-2020 school year to 93.1 percent in the 2022-2023 school year, according to the CDC, leaving approximately 250,000 kindergartners at risk each year over the past three years. . . .

The CDC reports that, in the decade before the measles vaccine became available in 1963, the disease killed 400 to 500 people, hospitalized 48,000 and gave 1,000 people encephalitis in the United States every year — and that was just among reported cases. The elimination of measles in the United States in 2000, driven by a safe and effective vaccine, was a major public health success. Although the elimination status still holds, the U.S. situation has deteriorated. The nation has been below 95 percent two-dose coverage for three consecutive years, and 12 states and the District below 90 percent.

2nd Booster Authorized For Seniors / Immunocompromised

 From fda.gov:

Mandating Vaccinations Is Not Violating Individual Rights

Republicans (on both the state and federal levels) are opposing both masks and vaccinations being mandatory. They claim that making these mandatory is a violation of an individual's constitutional rights.

What they are not telling you is that this is an issue that has already been decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1905 (Jacobson vs. Massachusetts), they ruled that the state had the power to "enact a compulsory vaccination law", and that did not violate the individual's rights. The state has the right to do that because it has the responsibility to ensure the Public's health.

In other words, the right of the government to mandate vaccinations has been the law for over 100 years in the United States. The 1905 case was about smallpox vaccinations, but the law should equally apply to COVID-19 vaccinations (especially since the virus has claimed over three-quarters of a million lives in this country).

Add to this the fact that all of those same Republicans had to be vaccinated before they entered school in their youth, and the same is true for their children and grandchildren. But they aren't opposing those vaccination mandates (which have been in effect for many years). It's just the COVID-19 vaccinations that they oppose being mandated. Why? 

One has to wonder if they don't care about American lives. The virus is now striking mainly among the unvaccinated, and almost all deaths from the virus are among the unvaccinated. This is obviously a public health problem -- a problem that can be solved through vaccinations.

The answer is that their stance on mandating vaccinations is purely political. They don't care about the lives that will be lost due to their lies about the vaccine, as long as they think they can benefit politically.

They don't want the pandemic to end. If it ends because of the population being vaccinated, they think President Biden will get the credit. But if it doesn't end, they think Biden will be blamed for the continuing pandemic. And if the public blames Biden, then that would be good for the Republicans in next year's elections.

They will likely succeed in causing the pandemic to continue, since a significant portion of their base believe their lies about the vaccine (and its constitutionality). Hopefully though, the public will be smart enough to know the pandemic's continuation is not the fault of President Biden (or the Democrats). It will rest solely with those who opposed the vaccinations (and wearing of masks) -- the Republicans!

About 6.7 Million Texans Say No To Taking COVID Vaccine

The chart above is from the newest Dallas Morning News / UT-Tyler Poll -- done between November 9th and 16th of 1,106 registered voters in Texas, with a 2.9 point margin of error.

It shows that about 23% of Texans say they will not take the COVID vaccine (5% say it is unlikely and 18% say definitely no). That's about 6.7 million people in Texas who refuse to take the vaccine, and provides a significant sample in which the virus can continue to grow.

This provides a danger to all Texans, since the longer the virus continues, the more it will mutate -- possibly into forms that can resist the vaccine.

This did not have to be this way, and is almost entirely because of the way the Republican governor and other elected officials have opposed both masks and vaccines. They have turned the pandemic into a political game - a game that will unnecessarily kill many Texans.

Majority Supports Biden's Effort To Control COVID-19

 

These charts reflect the results of the recent Monmouth University Poll -- done between November 4th and 8th of a national sample of 811 adults, with a 3.5 point margin of error. They show that a majority of the public approves of President Biden's effort to control the COVID-19 virus.

Most Disapprove Of Lying About Vaccination

 

The chart above is from the Economist / YouGov Poll -- done between October 16th and 19th of a national sample of 1,500 adults, with a 3 point margin of error.

It shows that an overwhelming majority of Americans disapprove of unvaccinated people lying about their status (like with fake vaccine cards) to get into a venue or to keep a job.

Majority Of Workers Approve Of Employer Vaccine Mandate

 The charts above are from the Gallup Poll. They questioned 4,007 adults nationwide between October 18th and 24th. The poll has a 2 point margin of error.

A Danger To Themselves - And The Public

 

Police, and their supporters, will be quick to tell you how dangerous their job is. That makes me wonder why then will they not be vaccinated.

It is a fact that the leading cause of death for police officers in the last year was COVID-19 -- far more than any other cause (including be shot). They will wear protective vests to protect themselves, but a significant portion of them still refuse to be vaccinated -- even when mandated to do so.

Don't they realize they are putting themselves in danger unnecessarily? And perhaps more important, they are putting the public in danger. Due to the nature of the job, the public doesn't have a choice in whether they must deal with the police or not. They should not have to worry about whether the officer facing them is vaccinated or not -- and if unvaccinated, possibly carry a disease that could be fatal.

Many of the police who don't want to be vaccinated are saying it is their right to refuse a vaccination. That would be true if they never had to deal with the public, but they do. The vaccine mandates are appropriate, both to protect the public and themselves (and their fellow officers).

I have no sympathy for police (or other workers the public must deal with) who refuse to be vaccinated. They should be fired, because they are a danger to the public.

The police are supposed to protect and serve the public -- not make them sick!

The Latest Vaccine Views From The KFF Poll

 

The charts above are from the latest Kaiser Family Foundation Poll -- done between October 14th and 24th of a national sample of 1,519 adults, with a 3 point margin of error.

The States Most And Least Unwilling To Be Vaccinated

 

From the Morning Consult Poll.

"America First" Is A Dangerous Idea In A Global Pandemic

Why does the United States give aid to other countries? Is it altruism? That would be nice, but that has never been the reason. U.S. politicians dole out aid to other countries because it is in the interests of this country. A country that is getting money (or other aid) from the United States is far more likely to go along with U.S. wishes and policy that a country not getting that aid.

We should consider helping the world to get vaccinated in the same way. It is in our own self-interest.

Even if we could vaccinate 100% of our population (which seems to be impossible), it would not insure we are protected against the COVID-19 virus.

As long as there are other countries with significant portions of their population that are unvaccinated, the virus will continue. And as the virus continues to rage, it will mutate -- very possibly into more easily transmissible and more lethal forms. And it is possible that a mutation could occur that would be immune to the currently available vaccines. That would open up even highly vaccinated countries to a resurgence of the disease.

And anyone who thinks we could keep those mutated viruses out of this country is living in a dream world. In this globally-interconnected world, that would be impossible.

I understand, and support, the desire to get our own population vaccinated, but that would not end the pandemic. We must not only continue to send vaccines to other countries, but also support giving those other countries the knowledge and tools to produce their own vaccines. 

The global pandemic will not end until their is global herd immunity, and that can only be achieved by making sure most people get vaccinated in every country.

In a global pandemic, "America First" is a stupid and dangerous idea.

Vaccination Percentages In U.S. States And Territories

The charts above are from The Washington Post. They show the percentage in each state and territory that have at least one COVID-19 vaccination, and the percentage that are fully vaccinated.

In the United States as a whole, about 65.5% have received at least one shot, and 56.5 have been fully vaccinated. That's still significantly under the percentage needed to establish herd immunity.

Unvaccinated Nurses/Police Pose A Danger To The Public

It has been mandated that public service workers, especially medical workers and police officers, should be vaccinated to protect the members of the public they come into contact with. Some are refusing. They claim it violates their rights. It doesn't! The public doesn't have a choice -- when they need the police or medical personnel, they don't have the ability to know whether those personnel are a danger to them. The public has a right to know they are safe around these individuals when they need them. Any of them who refuse to be vaccinated should be fired!

Here is part of Hayes Brown's comments on this at MSNBC.com:

Call me crazy, but I think public servants should first and foremost serve the public. That’s not to say they deserve fewer individual rights than others, but it is to say they should understand the trade-off between those rights and the rights of the public whose interests they were put in place to protect.

That includes people who are employed by law enforcement, military and health care services, all of whom have, over the last year and a half, been heralded in some circles as vital first responders who have helped keep society running throughout the pandemic. This is why I’ve had very little patience with people in these fields who have refused to get Covid-19 vaccinations. The issue for them, unlike for some who are still hesitant, isn’t a lack of access. Neither is it about a lack of information.

Instead, they’ve had early access to the vaccines, ample opportunity to be educated about their safety and more than enough time to figure out that it’s in their communities’ best interests that they be vaccinated. Which is why recent reports of police officers’ and health care staffers’ losing their jobs because they choose to remain unvaccinated sound entirely appropriate to me. . . .

All in all, there really doesn’t appear to be a mass movement of people choosing to leave their jobs over vaccinations. And we’re seeing, both anecdotally and through the data, that mandates move the needle on getting more people protected against Covid-19. And yet across the country, police departments and their unions have spent the last year refusing to accept vaccination mandates.

The people who are in those careers have entered fields in which their employment is conditioned on their willingness to put the safety of their communities first. If they now find that they are unwilling to do so by helping contain a deadly pandemic? Then, frankly, they have been in the wrong line of work this whole time.

Only 55% Would Get Under-12 Child Vaccinated If Allowed

 

The chart above is from the Gallup Poll -- done between September 13th and 19th of a national sample of 4,034 adults, with a 2 point margin of error.

I found this poll rather shocking. It shows that if a COVID-19 vaccine was approved for children under 12 years old, only 55% of parents would give the vaccine to their children.

What the hell is wrong with the 45% who would not? How can any parent even consider refusing to vaccinate their children, thereby putting them at risk of a serious illness and possibly even death?

U.S. Public Supports President Biden's Vaccine Mandates

The chart above is from a recent Gallup Poll -- done between September 13th and 19th of a national sample of 4,034 adults, with a 2 point margin of error.

It shows that most people in the U.S. support the vaccine mandates outlined by President Biden.

The Lives Lost To Undervaccination In The U.S.

From The New York Times.

Democrats Are The Best Party For Economic Growth

For decades, the Republicans have posed as the best party for economic growth. They still think that taking restraints and taxes off the rich and the corporations will benefit everyone. But that has never been true -- it just fattens the bank accounts of the rich and corporations, and nothing "trickles-down" to anyone else.

The truth is that the economy has always fared better under Democrats. And with the Republicans adding anti-mask and anti-vaccination policies to their failed economic policies, Democrats are not the only party that will grow the economy, helping both businesses and workers.

Here is how Catherine Rampell describes this reality in The Washington Post:

Thanks to President Biden’s vaccine mandate for employers — and the GOP’s response — Democrats have taken over the mantle of the pro-business, pro-economy, pro-growth party.

It is Democrats, after all, who have a plan to get the economy humming again, by controlling the coronavirus and thereby making it safe for Americans to work, shop, attend school and otherwise resume their pre-pandemic economic lives.

For the past decade, voters have usually said they trusted Republicans more than Democrats on the economy. This was a triumph of propaganda over experience, given how much better the economy has generally performed under Democratic presidents, on nearly every major metric — jobs, output growth, productivity, stock prices. To be fair, Democrats’ superior economic record to date has been primarily due to luck. But right now, Democrats deserve Americans’ economic faith because they are the only — yes, only — party actively working to help the economy recover from covid-19.

For a year and a half now, the virus has been in charge of the economy. Getting employment and other key metrics back on track requires curbing the virus’s spread. Under Biden’s leadership, Democrats have pleaded with Americans to voluntarily undertake the cheapest, most effective measure available for accomplishing this: getting vaccinated. Democrats have also urged adoption of other relatively inexpensive interventions, such as wearing masks in high-risk settings. These measures would relieve pressure on hospitals, help schools remain open (allowing parents to work), and generally make it safer and more attractive to engage in normal economic activities.

Republican politicians, however, have mostly opposed these common-sense policies.

Some have actively discouraged people from getting vaccinated, amplifiedconspiracy theories, and (in places including Florida and Texas) obstructed private companies from taking measures to reduce the spread of covid-19 within their own workplaces. These efforts, coupled with the spread of the more transmissible delta variant, have led to increasedhospitalizations and deaths and slower job growth. . . .

Last week, Biden announced more aggressive actions to control the spread, including greater availability of covid-19 tests and vaccination mandates for federal workers. The most controversial measure affected the private sector: a forthcoming requirement for companies with at least 100 employees to ensure their workers are either vaccinated or tested weekly if they return to the workplace.

Republican politicians around the country have adopted a pro-covid-19, anti-economy response. . . .

Why might companies welcome a government order that ties their hands? Because they know they’re better off if their workers, and the public more broadly, are vaccinated.

Higher vaccination rates reduce the risk of interruptions to operations and make customers feel safer. Imposing mandates unilaterally is perilous, though, because Republicans have turned it into a culture-war issue. Given labor shortages and the highly combustible political environment, employers (understandably) fear losing anti-vax workers to competitors.

Public support for employer vaccination mandates has generally been rising, perhaps changing the risk calculus for some firms — but not enough of them, and not fast enough. That’s why it’s helpful for the government to step in and play bad cop. . . .

Increasing vaccination is the best, cheapest way to save lives and stimulate the economy. If Republicans won’t get on board with this pro-growth policy, the least they can do is get out of the way.

Percentage Vaccinated In Each State And Territory

 

The charts above are from The Washington Post. It shows the percentage of people who have been vaccinated in every state and territory. 

We should be doing better than this!