Most Iowa Republicans plan to get jabbed — so should you

As COVID-19 vaccine availability increases, there is understandable consternation about “vaccine hesitancy.”

Some portion of Americans tell pollsters they don’t plan to get vaccinated anytime soon. If that persists, it will be a barrier to reaching herd immunity and more people will needlessly get sick and die. Some commentators are dissecting surveys along partisan lines, making vaccine acceptance out to be a political issue.

The important thing to know is that most Americans and most Iowans plan to get vaccinated, including majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents. You should, too.

I traveled out of town this past week for a vaccine appointment, from my home in Iowa City to a 59-percent Trump county to the south. I saw a steady stream of other shot-seekers during the 45 minutes I was at the Walmart pharmacy.

I had some manageable side effects the next day — sore arm, fatigue and a headache — but they were gone the following day. In two weeks, once the vaccine is effective, I’ll celebrate with some pints of Busch Light at the local dives I’ve avoided for more than a year now.

Contrary to the media narrative about one side of the aisle being more vaccine hesitant, it makes perfect sense for conservatives to get jabbed.

Some of Iowa’s elected Republicans are leading the charge to encourage fellow Iowans to get jabbed.

Gov. Kim Reynolds in March received a vaccine during a televised news conference. She said then, “I wanted to ensure Iowans that I believe it is a safe vaccine and not to be afraid to take it.”

U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a physician, has been visiting vaccine clinics across the 2nd Congressional District and sticking arms herself. She has a goal to administer vaccines in each of the 24 counties she represents.

“Really, it’s liberating and a return of our freedoms,” Miller-Meeks told the Newton Daily News this month.

Former President Donald Trump, a close ally to Iowa Republicans, called in to Fox News last month to remind supporters that the vaccines — developed under his administration — are “great” and “safe.”

"I would recommend it and I would recommend it to a lot of people that don't want to get it and a lot of those people voted for me, frankly," Trump said.

Contrary to the media narrative about one side of the aisle being more vaccine hesitant, it makes perfect sense for conservatives to get jabbed.

Conservatives value personal responsibility. Vaccines and face coverings are tools we use to keep ourselves and others safe. Even if the chance of death is relatively small, we come prepared for the worst, not unlike the way many of us carry guns.

Conservatives value private property rights. As more public activities open up, some business owners might request that only vaccinated people enter their establishments. We ought to honor their preferences.

Conservatives value human ingenuity. The speedy development of COVID-19 vaccines is a powerful spectacle of science and technology, led by private companies and Dolly Parton in coordination with public institutions. We should be excited about that.

About a third of Americans say they want to “wait and see” how the vaccine rollout goes before they get a shot, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll published in February. The wait-and-see group included about the same portion of Republicans and Democrats. Most of them say they don’t know anyone who has been vaccinated, suggesting acceptance could grow as more shots are delivered

The data is messy and quickly changing. At best, applying a partisan lens is misleading. At worst, it’s dangerous — we risk entrenching those we aim to persuade.

People who are hesitant to get vaccinated aren’t necessarily anti-vaxx, experts caution.

“The vaccine hesitant are therefore vulnerable to manipulation by anti-vaccine activists. They also risk being judged or labeled ‘anti-vaxx’ by the very people — health care professionals — who are best positioned to encourage healthy behaviors,” vaccine scholars wrote in the journal Science last month.

“Communication about vaccines must be delivered in an empathic manner to avoid stigmatizing those who question inoculation.”

To encourage vaccine acceptance, we should meet people where they’re at.

adam.sullivan@thegazette.com; (319) 339-3156