Anti-Vaxxer Minds

President Nixon and Elvis Presley in the Oval Office on December 21, 1970 

Photo: Ollie Atkins via National Archives

Elvis makes everything better. Even Nixon.

Biden’s relentless vaccine rollout continues unabated. Some states even have surplus appointments. That’s great news. As vaccines move from scarcity to abundance, states can administer dosages to all comers. That’s when we’ll discover the true number of anti-vaxxers in America.

Anthony Fauci estimates that between 70% and 90% of Americans will need vaccinations to achieve national herd immunity. That’s a big target, particularly if we need to hit the upper threshold to repel new, highly contagious virus strains. Even at the lower threshold, numerous anti-vaxxers will need shots to tame COVID-19.

The anti-vaxxer population is not a monolith. Many, perhaps most, have legitimate concerns. We need to be patient and compassionate with these hesitant but persuadable individuals. We need to earn their trust and nudge them slowly toward vaccination centers.

Another more sinister group is politicizing vaccinations. This includes half of Republican House members and several Republican Senators. In a recent column, LA Times columnist Doyle McManus calls these political anti-vaxxers “selfish epidemiological moochers” and “free riders.” He’s right. These unpatriotic, self-serving individuals increase health risks even as they benefit from increasing COVID-19 immunity. 

Getting these nuanced anti-vaxxers sentiments into coherent song lyrics is challenging. Fortunately, Suspicious Minds gives us catchy lyrics to parody:

We can’t recover together 

With suspicious minds

We can’t rebuild our country

With suspicious minds

So kick back and listen to our Troubadour John Zam channel his inner-Elvis as he performs “Anti-Vaxxer Minds.”

Listen to other 4sight Health songs here. 

Read all dispatches from Dave Johnson here.