Ohio, Florida, and other states where Republican governors refused vaccine mandates were left unprotected against COVID-19 and saw higher death rates. The anti-vax mindset is extremely dangerous.

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By Robert Weiner and Gene Lambey

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is running his campaign for the 2024 Presidential election. His family is part of this nation's legacy, and he is a top anti-vaxxer. Kennedy running as an Independent encourages anti-vaxxers to flock to him. He picked his Vice President candidate Nicole Shanahan, claiming "significant health issues" after taking the COVID-19 vaccine. The family's opposition announced today to the RFK candidacy is the political piece--but his position on vaccines is outright dangerous scientifically.

Republican governors in states including Ohio refused COVID-19 vaccine mandates despite health officials proving they are safe. Where were the Republican scientists giving the correct information on vaccine mandates? The CDC reported almost 1.2 million Americans dying from COVID-19. Almost 7 million have been hospitalized. This was life or death.

In June 2023 a nationwide survey from the University of South Florida stated that only 49 percent of Republicans, were "very "or "somewhat confident" that COVID-19 vaccines were safe which contrasts with 88 percent of Democrats. A Yale study highlighted partisanship over COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy, leading to unnecessary deaths. Public officials feared mixed messaging on COVID-19 vaccine by Republicans sharpened attitudes toward vaccines.

Ohio, Florida, and other anti-vax-led states were left unprotected and uninformed against COVID-19.

Sherri Tenpenny, a Cleveland physician and conspiracy theorist, spoke in 2021 at the Ohio House of Representatives on how COVID vaccines caused Ohio patients to be "magnetized" and falsely claimed patients died after receiving COVID-19 vaccines. Her medical license was removed.

Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo, appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2021, discouraging Floridians from receiving COVID-19 vaccines. His purported study showed, "stratified analysis for cardiac related death" through mRNA vaccinations "increased risk in males, especially among males aged 18-39," which Ladapo wrote in 2023. He discouraged at-risk Floridians over 65 to not get the vaccine. Ladapo was ridiculed for his claims by many serious health officials.

In September 2021 the Biden administration came out with COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates. Biden called for vaccine mandates for employees at large U.S. businesses. The Supreme Court halted the mandate in January 2022 but allowed health workers to adopt it.

The administration has "been patient." Biden stated that unvaccinated people's refusal "cost all of us." He emphasized unvaccinated people "cause a lot of damage" and endanger all Americans.

The Ohio Department of Health reported Ohioans having more than 42,299 deaths as of November, 2023. Ohio has the sixth highest percentage of long COVID-19 cases reaching 30 percent. Gov Mike DeWine(R-Ohio) advised businesses and entertainment venues to close down at the start of the pandemic, sparking conflict with Republicans. He refused the vaccine mandate proposed by the Biden administration. DeWine signed a bill in July 2021 temporarily blocking schools from setting vaccination mandates for the upcoming school year.

According to Florida's Department of Health, a report was released showing over 90,000 deaths to COVID-19 since 2020. Out of all U.S. states, Florida had the twelfth highest percentage of long COVID-19 cases being 27.6 percent. Gov. DeSantis neglected making vaccine mandates, lied on implementing them and bragged on being the first state to remove mask mandates. DeSantis opposed vaccinations for Floridian children under the age of five once it was approved by the FDA and other health organizations, claiming lack of testing and clinical trials for young children during a press conference in June 2022.

People must listen to reliable health officials when a health crisis occurs. The problem is to make sure the officials are using real data.

Robert Weiner was Drug Policy Spokesman in the Clinton and Bush White Houses. He was Chief of Staff for the House Subcommittee on Health, and the full House Aging Committee. An Oberlin College alumjnus, he was also Communications Director of the House Government Operations Committee, and Senior Aide to Four-Star Gen/Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey and Reps. Claude Pepper, John Conyers, Charles Rangel, Ed Koch and Sen. Ted Kennedy.

Gene Lambey, Jr., is a policy analyst and writer at Robert Weiner Associates and Solution For Change.

(Article changed on Apr 25, 2024 at 1:40 PM EDT)

Authors Bio:

Robert Weiner,
NATIONAL PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND ISSUES STRATEGIST

Bob Weiner, a national issues and public affairs strategist, has been spokesman for and directed the public affairs offices of White House Drug Czar and Four Star General Barry McCaffrey, the House Government Operations Committee and Chairman John Conyers (D-MI), Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY) and the House Narcotics Committee, and was Chief of Staff for the House Aging Committee and Chairman Claude Pepper (D-FL). He also was Legislative Assistant to Ed Koch of New York and a political aide to Ted Kennedy (D-MA) for his Presidential and Senate races. Bob worked at the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate as youth voter registration director in 1971-1972 when the constitution was amended to allow 18-year olds the vote.

Since he left the White House in 2001, Bob heads up a public affairs and issue strategies company, Robert Weiner Associates. He is a regular political analyst on Radio America and has appeared on Bill Maher, CNN Crossfire, Today, Good Morning America, and the CBS, NBC, and ABC evening news. He is widely published in columns he writes on national issues in major papers throughout the country including recently the Washington Post, Denver Post, Miami Herald, Christian Science Monitor, New York Daily News, Baltimore Sun, Boston Globe, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Atlanta Constitution, New York Post, Washington Times, Sacramento Bee, Palm Beach Post, Salt Lake Tribune, Minneapolis Star Tribune, and Adweek. He is also regularly quoted in key media coast-to-coast, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, AP and Reuters, concerning the presidential campaign and national issues.