“Republicans, especially men, are among the most reluctant to receive a COVID vaccine, Iowa and national polls show. That runs counter to the dominant narrative that minority groups are the most hesitant, as explored last week in a New York Times podcast. Individuals who aren’t vaccinated face increased health risks, but the reluctance also affects the wider goal to reach herd immunity. As Iowa opens vaccine eligibility to all adults next week, the state is quickly approaching a point where it’ll soon shift its vaccination focus to those who have declined earlier opportunities. 41% of Iowa Republicans don’t plan to be vaccinated compared with 8% of Democrats and 30% of independents, according to an Iowa Poll published by the Des Moines Register.”
“Among those groups, men lead in reluctancy. Polk County Republican Party Chairwoman Gloria Mazza, who recovered from COVID and had a friend who died from it, doesn’t plan to push for vaccinations among her group, arguing that peoples’ concerns about potential unknown consequences must be respected. ‘I’m not a rebel by any means. I know this stuff is real. I’ve lived it, but I also believe strongly in personal choice'” – Axios.