On July 20, local time, the U.S. Senate minority leader and Republican McConnell called on Americans who have not yet been vaccinated to get the new crown vaccine as soon as possible, and emphasized that if no action is taken, the United States will once again fall into an epidemic situation similar to last fall in.According to the “Washington Post” report, as the delta mutant virus spreads in the United States, more and more senior Republicans have urged Republican supporters to get vaccinated. This marked a significant shift in anti-vaccination conspiracy theories.
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Original title: Delta strains are raging, and many Republicans change their attitudes to encourage Americans to get vaccinated
Just a few days before McConnell made the above remarks, other senior Republicans and conservatives also made remarks urging people to get vaccinated, but at the same time, there are still Republicans who are skeptical about the vaccine and spread the word about it. Information on the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.
Changing attitudes of Republicans
Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the second-ranked Republican leader of the House of Representatives, urged others to follow suit after receiving the first dose of Pfizer vaccine last weekend. Prior to this, Scarlis had long refused to be vaccinated, claiming that he could fight the virus. But starting earlier this year, he expressed his desire to ensure that his voters have the opportunity to be vaccinated first. In an interview on July 20, Scarlis also pointed out: “There should be no hesitation about whether it (vaccine) is safe and effective.” He said that in view of the recent spread of the delta strain and the surge in related cases, He finally decided to accept the vaccine.
For a long time, Fox News has acted as a conservative microphone, and its audience is mostly Republican supporters. The Fox News report magnified the suspicions about the efficacy of vaccines, and it also criticized the autocratic behavior of companies in compulsory vaccination. However, Fox News host Sean Hannity said on the radio on July 19: “For many Americans, vaccination definitely makes sense. I believe in science. I believe in vaccination. “It is worth noting that Hannity has publicly stated that the new crown virus is a scam.
CNN research shows that as of the end of May, among all 535 members of Congress, 100% of Democrats have been vaccinated, while only 44.8% of House Republicans and 92% of Republican senators are vaccinated. Was vaccinated. Democrats said that conservatives’ lag in vaccination prevented Congress from relaxing control of the epidemic.
Representative Elise Stefanik (Elise Stefanik) is the third-ranked House Republican leader. Last week, in a meeting with local business leaders in her area, Stefanik encouraged her voters to be vaccinated. Stefanick said that increasing the vaccination rate is the key to economic recovery.
“I am proud of the vaccination rate in our county, especially the elderly who are most vulnerable, and we want to encourage them to get vaccinated.” Stefanick said.
Anti-vaccine rhetoric is still spreading
While many Republicans vigorously encourage vaccination, there are still Republicans who do not support the vaccine and publicly stated that there is no evidence that the vaccine is still effective against the mutant strain. What’s more, the medical staff who encouraged vaccinations were compared with the stormtrooper Sturmabteilung (Sturmabteilung) who helped the government control discipline during the rule of Nazi Germany.
On July 19, Republican Congressman Marjorie Taylor Greene was temporarily banned for violating Twitter’s new crown vaccine misinformation (rumor) policy. Previously, she had stated that the new coronavirus was “not dangerous to non-obese people and people under 65”. On July 6, Green also called US President Biden on Twitter: “You don’t need your brown shirts to show up at people’s doors to encourage them to get vaccinated. You can’t force people to participate in human trials.”
Twitter’s ban did not stop Green from continuing to spread anti-vaccine rhetoric. At a press conference on July 20, Green continued to spread negative information about the vaccine and refused to encourage her voters to get vaccinated. “I believe that people have their own personal responsibility to read (news), discover and make their own decisions.” Green said, “I don’t worship science, nor do I think science rules everything.”
The British “Financial Times” commented that many Americans believe that if a person is encouraged or forced to be vaccinated, his or her civil liberties will be affected. Some people read some so-called “theories” on the Internet and believe that vaccination poses a major risk to their health.
Steven Shaw, a former U.S. President Trump voter, pointed out to the Financial Times that the 58-year-old read on the Internet that “the new crown vaccine can change a person’s DNA” and “this is not a real vaccine. , So I am skeptical about it.”
The report said that many Republican officials still did not encourage people to get vaccinated, but did the opposite. For example, as early as April, Arkansas Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson signed a bill prohibiting the government from enforcing the regulations on masks and vaccines, as well as the vaccine passport policy. At the moment, including Arkansas, at least eight Republicans control the legislature or states where the governor is a Republican have banned schools and universities from requiring relevant personnel to be vaccinated or provide proof of vaccination.
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