Part 1Biden world at a loss over how to stop the growing anti-vax movement - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/20/biden-anti-vax-movement-00116516"It's become now a politically motivated movement," said Peter Hotez, a virologist at the Baylor College of Medicine who has written extensively about the anti-vaccine movement, arguing that vaccine skepticism has become more embedded in conservatives' worldview than ever before. "But I can't get any engagement out of anybody."
Hotez isn't the only one arguing the administration could be doing more to combat the conspiracies and falsehoods, especially as they emerge more prominently during the current presidential cycle. DeSantis has made opposition to Covid precautions a central element of his campaign, most recently claiming without evidence the latest vaccine isn't safe or effective. And even Trump, who oversaw the record-fast development of the initial Covid vaccine, has acknowledged that fact is doing him no favors with GOP voters, vowing that he's "not going to talk about it one way or the other."
Part 2Covid eroded trust in vaccines. The 2024 election may make it worse, experts warn. - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/21/covid-vaccines-science-2024-election-00116520"Hundreds of thousands of Americans have died in this pandemic because of the bad information about vaccines and treatments," said Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown School of Public Health and former White House Covid-19 response coordinator under the Biden administration. "I certainly am worried about what happens over the next three to five years.
Resistance to the Covid-19 vaccine has already spilled over to routine childhood immunizations. Data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this year show that vaccination rates for kindergarteners dropped for the second consecutive year.
The skipped shots protect against a wide array of diseases including measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliovirus and varicella. Together, the CDC estimates childhood vaccines prevent 4 million deaths worldwide every year.
Declining vaccination rates mean these diseases could start to circulate more widely and, with them, vaccine-preventable deaths. In 2019, there were more than 1,200 cases of measles across 31 states, the largest outbreak in the U.S. since 1992."
Part 3Ron DeSantis is doubling down on Covid vaccine skepticism. It probably won't move GOP voters. - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/22/ron-desantis-covid-vaccine-skepticism-00116526Part 4Do GOP voters continue to distrust vaccines? - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/23/gop-voters-vaccines-poll-00117125"A new POLITICO | Morning Consult poll, conducted as part of POLITICO's ongoing series about the rising anti-vax movement, shows Republican voters are less likely than Democrats or independents to say vaccines are safe for children. It also shows that as many Republicans now say they care more about the risks of vaccines than they do about the health benefits.
The survey results underscore that as the number of voters more doubtful of vaccines has risen despite scientific evidence that they're safe and effective it has come almost exclusively from one political party. While opposition to more established vaccines is still far from a majority position among Republicans, significant numbers question their safety and say Americans shouldn't be encouraged to get them.
Part 5Anti-vaxxers, flush with cash, now have political power - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/24/anti-vaxxers-political-power-00116527"Covid vaccines have been the foot in the door for the more general anti-vaccine movement. And unfortunately, that door is open pretty wide now," said Dr. Dave Gorski, a Michigan-based oncologist who has been tracking anti-vaccine efforts for two decades.
The funding spike reflects a sea change for once-fringe entities. The anti-vaccine movement has now emerged as a modern political force. In practical terms, greater funds enable anti-vaccine groups to expand their public reach, sue federal agencies and organize like-minded activists at the state level, as well as expand their reach abroad.
That case, perhaps the greatest policy achievement for the movement to loosen vaccine requirements in schools or workplaces, alarmed public health experts. Depressed vaccination rates have led to more deaths from Covid-19, and have the potential to enable the return of potentially fatal childhood diseases such as measles."
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