Coronavirus Week 56: Herd immunity ruled out, as we're not at the finish line, but some vax-hesitant are crossing

To get even near to something like "herd immunity," both in Texas and nationally, public health experts know that means separating the vaccine-hesitant from antivaxxer diehards and getting them across the finish line.

But, with the continued rise of variants, the slowness of vaccination, etc., experts say herd immunity is not achievable. Within that piece, health experts say that addressing the causes of hesitancy is keye.

Meanwhile, herd-immunity bullshit is being spread at places like KEYE, Austin's CBS and Sinclair-owned teevee.

 

Dr. Peter Hotez argues that anti-vax aggression must be addressed if we're going to really make progress in vanquishing COVID-19.

Well, occasionally, you get a true antivaxxer to see the light. Heather Simpson got the jab (after getting her 3-year-old started late on her own vaccines). It's a good long read. Simpson wasn't always an antivaxxer, but when trying to have a baby, wondered if vaccines were an issue and wound up diving into the antivax cesspool. Eventually, though not immediately, she became an antivax "influencer." She told the Monthly that she wanted to publicize getting shot up now (as well as getting her kid on course) to make amends.

Ill Eagles are eligible for the vaccine, but for largely obvious reasons, aren't getting it.

The Texas House has removed masking requirements in its half of the Pink Dome. One-third of Dems voted for the measure.

The state still has just one-quarter of people vaccinated. That remains well below the national average.

Rural white wingers and semi-wingers, led by evangelical Christians and their churches, top the vaccine hesitant. In some cases, it's connected with Trump lies about COVID. In some cases, it's connected with rural woo — and yes, the alt-med world is there, just like Hollywood. (And, with some of those folks, it's about their pocketbooks and the woo they peddle.) With yet other evangelicals, it's the "time to die" portion of their quiverfull theology. (The story, interestingly, doesn't mention that Greenville, Tennessee, its focus, was the adult home of Andy Johnson.)

Texas has still not rebounded economically as much as some states.