Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
McConnell And Scalise, Noting Rise Of Virus, Urge Supporters Get Vaccinated
AP: McConnell Urges Americans: 'Get Vaccinated' As Cases Spike
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell implored unvaccinated Americans Tuesday to take the COVID-19 shot, issuing a stark and grave warning of a repeat of last year’s rising caseloads and shutdowns if people refuse to protect themselves from the coronavirus. McConnell urged Americans to ignore the “demonstrably bad advice” coming from pundits and others against the vaccines. As cases skyrocket, he noted that nearly all the new virus hospitalizations in the U.S. are among people who have not been vaccinated. (Mascaro, 7/21)
The Washington Post: Growing Number Of Republicans Urge Vaccinations Amid Delta Surge
A growing number of top Republicans are urging GOP supporters to get vaccinated as the delta coronavirus variant surges across the United States, marking a notable shift away from the anti-vaccine conspiracy theorizing that has gripped much of the party in opposition to the Biden administration’s efforts to combat the virus. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was part of the rising chorus on Tuesday, stressing the need for unvaccinated Americans to receive coronavirus shots and warning that the country could reverse its progress in moving on from the pandemic. (Sotomayor, Alemany and DeBonis, 7/20)
NPR: COVID Warnings From White House, Congress Rise With New Cases
Rep. Steve Scalise, the No. 2 Republican in the House, got vaccinated against COVID-19 on Sunday after months of waiting, citing the rise of the delta variant and increasing cases and hospitalizations, primarily among people who are unvaccinated. His decision, reported on Nola.com, comes as lawmakers and the White House try to reach those hardest to convince to get vaccinated, and those with limited access. The messaging is delicate as there are also mild cases among people who are vaccinated — including in Washington, D.C. "These shots need to get into everybody's arm as rapidly as possible, or we're going to be back in a situation in the fall — that we don't yearn for — that we went through last year," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters on Tuesday. (Wise, 7/20)
The New York Times: As Virus Resurges, G.O.P. Lawmakers Allow Vaccine Skepticism To Flourish
On Tuesday, Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the No. 2 House Republican who said he had received his first Pfizer vaccine shot only on Sunday, blamed the hesitance on Mr. Biden and his criticism of Donald J. Trump’s vaccine drive last year. Senator Tommy Tuberville, Republican of Alabama, said skeptics would not get their shots until “this administration acknowledges the efforts of the last one.” And Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas pointed the finger at the White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci. Amid a widening partisan divide over coronavirus vaccination, most Republicans have either stoked or ignored the flood of misinformation reaching their constituents and instead focused their message about the vaccine on disparaging President Biden. (Weisman and Stolberg, 7/20)
Also —
AP: Conservative Media Offers Mixed Messages On COVID-19 Vaccine
When Dr. Alexa Mieses Malchuk talks to patients about the COVID-19 vaccine, she tries to feel out where they get their information from. “Sometimes I feel like the education I have to provide depends on what news channel that they watch,” the doctor in Durham, North Carolina, said. The mixed messaging can come from the same media outlet — and even the same source. On Fox News Channel on Monday, host Sean Hannity looked straight into the camera to deliver a clear message: “It absolutely makes sense for many Americans to get vaccinated. I believe in science. I believe in the science of vaccinations.” (Bauder, 7/21)
KHN: The Delta Variant Thrives In A State Of Political And Public Health Discord
The day after Missouri Gov. Mike Parson finished his bicentennial bus tour to drum up tourism to the state in mid-July, Chicago issued a travel advisory warning about visiting Missouri. Earlier this summer, as covid-19 case counts began to tick up when the highly transmissible delta variant took hold in the state, the Republican-majority legislature successfully enacted laws limiting public health powers and absolving businesses from covid legal exposure. (Weber, 7/21)
Newsweek: Trump Supporter Who Protested Against Vaccinations Dies Of COVID-19
Linda Zuern, a supporter of former President Donald Trump and a protester against COVID-19 vaccines, has died of coronavirus. She lived in Bourne, Massachusetts. She was 70. Zuern reportedly contracted the virus after visiting her mother in South Dakota, following the death of her father. During their return trip to Bourne, both women contracted the illness, the Cape Cod Times reported. ... Zuern opposed local vaccinations efforts, both as a member of the county government council, the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates, and as a volunteer with a local conservative group called United Cape Patriots. Last December, while serving her third term on the Assembly, she pushed for local doctors to use hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 patients. (Villarreal, 7/20)
