# What IS it with Republicans and not wanting to get vaccinated? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 8, 2021, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-republicans-and-not-wanting-to-get-vaccinated/954004 "2021-11-08T21:26:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-republicans-and-not-wanting-to-get-vaccinated/954004/123 "2021-11-09T22:25:05Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > With al the errors of fact and bad logic posted by **agzem** , the thread has wandered away from the question in the OP. Well, it’s not entirely irrelevant: Republicans are getting perpetually bombarded with the exact sort of errors of fact and bad logic that agzem is spewing. And they’re predisposed to believe the bombarded bullshit because conservative politicians and media have so heavily politicized COVID issues, especially vaccination. And that, for the most part, is what is with Republicans and not wanting to get vaccinated. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-republicans-and-not-wanting-to-get-vaccinated/954004/124 "2021-11-09T22:33:14Z")
> [@Esprise\_Me](#): > > … but not something that will kill you unless you’re fat and irresponsible. No, not fat like me, like other people. It was kind of a running thing on r/HermanCainAward that having a goatee was seemingly greatly correlated with Covid mortality. Then someone pointed out that men frequently grow goatees to cover up a double chin, and it all made sense. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-republicans-and-not-wanting-to-get-vaccinated/954004/125 "2021-11-09T23:25:54Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > It would be interesting to discover the WHY and what sort of reasoning leads to that WHY, but I am afraid that we can only see the odd reaction without being able to discover the actual WHY. Lack of information and safety concerns, basic fear of the unknown, lack of trust in government and media. I forget who, but some sports figure was making headlines as anti-vax and pushing conspiracy theories. Somewhere in the Pit I read that when he met with an actual doctor from the team, the only questions he had for the doc were about safety, interactions with personal health conditions, etc. Not conspiracy theories. He got the shot, I think, but said he was forced to by the league. I live in a pretty solid Republican area and work at a doctor’s office. Not even a primary care, but a specialist’s office. We get a lot of people who have questions about basic vaccine information and safety, even this late in the game - I’m talking multiple times a week. We are getting a lot more recently from parents since they started allowing kids to get vaccinated. Our doc has a blanket policy that everyone should be vaccinated, but still goes in the room each time and patiently answers their questions. It’s because there’s so little trust in other sources of information. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-republicans-and-not-wanting-to-get-vaccinated/954004/126 "2021-11-10T00:48:50Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > It would be interesting to discover the WHY and what sort of reasoning leads to that WHY I think plenty of “why” answers have been given. Another I think is that pandemics in general are best fought by selfless collective action for the beneift of the entire population and not just monkeysphere. Vaccines, masks, lockdowns, income support for those locked down and unable to work; all these work towards collective suppression of the virus without necessarily directly assisting any given individual who supports these measures. This is right in line with the left’s style of thinking. It is anathema to the right’s style of thinking which leans towards individual rights, individual action and charity only within monkeysphere. So that sets the scene. And then tribalism and deliberate polarization of the populace for political gain does the rest. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-republicans-and-not-wanting-to-get-vaccinated/954004/127 "2021-11-10T00:53:25Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > Our doc has a blanket policy that everyone should be vaccinated, but still goes in the room each time and patiently answers their questions. It’s because there’s so little trust in other sources of information. It’s the same old story – “I don’t trust what my doctor is saying but this other guy hawking chelation pills wouldn’t lie to me.” ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-republicans-and-not-wanting-to-get-vaccinated/954004/128 "2021-11-10T02:11:43Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Re: Still crystal healing people out there? > > > [@Ulfreida](#): > > > > Come to Santa Cruz California and relive your youth. > > Lot of that in Marin, Sonoma, and Napa Counties too. I understand the Dream of the Nineties is alive in Portland. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-republicans-and-not-wanting-to-get-vaccinated/954004/129 "2021-11-10T13:17:46Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > I live in a pretty solid Republican area and work at a doctor’s office. Not even a primary care, but a specialist’s office. We get a lot of people who have questions about basic vaccine information and safety, even this late in the game - I’m talking multiple times a week. We are getting a lot more recently from parents since they started allowing kids to get vaccinated. Our doc has a blanket policy that everyone should be vaccinated, but still goes in the room each time and patiently answers their questions. It’s because there’s so little trust in other sources of information Good for the doctor for patiently answering questions day after day. The problem is that too many people think that five minutes of googling and/or reading Facebook memes that reinforce their preconceived notions makes them equal to people who spend decades in medicine or epidemiology. Facebook could have prevented a lot of this vaccine misinformation, but they found it more profitable not to. ---
**Author:** ![netverse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/958977/32.png) [@netverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/netverse)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-republicans-and-not-wanting-to-get-vaccinated/954004/130 "2021-11-10T13:51:21Z")
Which Republicans are you talking about? I know a lot of them that got vaccinated. And getting vaccinate means and not wearing a mask afterward, you will still spread the virus, or you can get infected, but not get that sick. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-republicans-and-not-wanting-to-get-vaccinated/954004/131 "2021-11-10T14:19:24Z")
There’s a big gap between the vaccination rates of Republicans and Democrats and independents. Back in October, I think it was like 40%. If you look at maps of vaccination rates by state, you’ll see that redder states tend to have lower vaccination rates than blue states. So, those Republicans – the 40% or so that say they don’t plan on getting vaccinated (as of [October](https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2021/10/01/for-covid-19-vaccinations-party-affiliation-matters-more-than-race-and-ethnicity/) – that number may have come down with the various mandates). ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-republicans-and-not-wanting-to-get-vaccinated/954004/132 "2021-11-10T14:52:27Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > that number may have come down with the various mandates And/or deaths. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-republicans-and-not-wanting-to-get-vaccinated/954004/133 "2021-11-10T15:32:45Z")
The dream of the suburbs is much move vivid across the river. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-republicans-and-not-wanting-to-get-vaccinated/954004/134 "2021-11-10T16:28:48Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Another I think is that pandemics in general are best fought by selfless collective action for the beneift of the entire population and not just monkeysphere. Vaccines, masks, lockdowns, income support for those locked down and unable to work; all these work towards collective suppression of the virus without necessarily directly assisting any given individual who supports these measures. > > This is right in line with the left’s style of thinking. It is anathema to the right’s style of thinking which leans towards individual rights, individual action and charity only within monkeysphere. > > So that sets the scene. And then tribalism and deliberate polarization of the populace for political gain does the rest. To me, this answers the question in the OP fully and completely. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-republicans-and-not-wanting-to-get-vaccinated/954004/135 "2021-11-10T16:32:17Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > five minutes of googling and/or reading Facebook memes that reinforce their preconceived notions AKA “I’m doing research!” ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-republicans-and-not-wanting-to-get-vaccinated/954004/136 "2021-11-10T17:09:11Z")
Wake-up call from Texas: > **[Unvaccinated Texans 40 times as likely to die of covid as those fully...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/11/09/texas-unvaccinated-deaths-higher-covid/)** > > The figures in Texas highlight just how much more at risk the unvaccinated population has been this year. > The [report](https://www.dshs.texas.gov/immunize/covid19/data/Cases-and-Deaths-by-Vaccination-Status-11082021.pdf) from the Texas Department of State Health Services examined data from Jan. 15 to Oct. 1 and found that unvaccinated people were much more likely to get infected and die of the [coronavirus](https://www.washingtonpost.com/coronavirus/?itid=lk_inline_manual_4) than those who got their shots. > > Of the nearly 29,000 covid-linked fatalities in Texas during that period, more than 85 percent were of unvaccinated individuals. Nearly 7 percent of the deaths were among partially vaccinated people, while nearly 8 percent were fully vaccinated. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-republicans-and-not-wanting-to-get-vaccinated/954004/137 "2021-11-10T17:41:11Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Wake-up call from Texas > Nearly 7 percent of the deaths were among partially vaccinated people, while nearly 8 percent were fully vaccinated. Waiting for bad-with-stats-guy to come back and claim this study demonstrates that 15% of vaccinated people die from Covid. ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-republicans-and-not-wanting-to-get-vaccinated/954004/138 "2021-11-10T17:49:17Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > There’s a big gap between the vaccination rates of Republicans and Democrats and independents. Back in October, I think it was like 40%. If you look at maps of vaccination rates by state, you’ll see that redder states tend to have lower vaccination rates than blue states. While some of that gap is undoubtedly ideological, some of it is likely related to the urban/rural divide as well. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-republicans-and-not-wanting-to-get-vaccinated/954004/139 "2021-11-10T17:51:35Z")
I don’t think I understand what you’re saying. The survey asked whether the respondent was a Democrat or Republican, or independent. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-republicans-and-not-wanting-to-get-vaccinated/954004/140 "2021-11-10T18:05:10Z")
> [@GreysonCarlisle](#): > > Can’t tell me what to do! I think that misses the bigger point. They are more than willing to do what they are told to do, as long as it’s the right sort of people that are giving the orders. ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-republicans-and-not-wanting-to-get-vaccinated/954004/141 "2021-11-10T18:51:16Z")
I’m saying that some of that may be correlation, not causation. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-republicans-and-not-wanting-to-get-vaccinated/954004/142 "2021-11-11T13:04:54Z")
The reasons: - I don’t wanna. - My preacher said I don’t have to and I don’t wanna. - My faecesbook said I shouldn’t and I don’t wanna. To entertain the notion that there is anything more to it is just pandering to selfish idiots. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-republicans-and-not-wanting-to-get-vaccinated/954004.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-it-with-republicans-and-not-wanting-to-get-vaccinated/954004.md?page=8)