Congressional Democrats have a 100% vaccination rate
For Republicans, at 44.8percent of House members have been vaccinated and at least 92% of senators are, CNN found.
In a follow-up to a March House-wide poll and interviews together with associates, CNN verified that 312 of the 431 members of the House — just over 72% of their 431-member body — have now received a Covid-19 vaccination. One of the Republican conference, 95 of those 212 associates — 44.8% — have stated they’re vaccinated.
One hundred and twelve Republican offices did not respond to multiple CNN inquires.
Though the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that people fully vaccinated from Covid-19 don’t need to wear masks or clinic social distancing indoors or outdoors except under special conditions, the House mask demand will stay set up until all members and floor staff are fully vaccinated.
“No,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said when asked when the principle mandating masks unless a member is talking on the House floor could be modified. She then asked,”Are they all vaccinated?”
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“The Pfizer and Moderna trials demonstrated no benefit from the vaccine for all those previously infected, therefore I will not be carrying the vaccine,” Massie said in a statement to CNN.
Both clinical trial and real life data finds that the mRNA vaccines are far more than 95% effective at preventing severe Covid-19 disease, hospitalizations and death.
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Three other Republicans — Reps. Greg Steube and Kat Cammack of both Florida and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia — stated they didn’t wish to share the information.
“I’m not going to discuss it. I really don’t think anyone should have to share their personal, personal medical information with anybody,” Steube told CNN.
Rep. Guy Reschenthaler of Pennsylvania told CNN,”I have the antibodies” when asked when he had been vaccinated. But experts don’t know how long antibodies last in a person that has recovered from Covid-19, and study suggests that coronavirus vaccines will provide better protection, especially in regards to some of the stressing variants. 1 study found that individuals in South Africa who received the Pfizer vaccine after B.1.351 became the most dominant circulating virus were still very closely protected from infection, and that protection lasted for six months.
All 50 members of the Senate Democratic caucus are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, based on interviews with those senators and also a CNN review of their public statements.
On the Republican side, 46 of 50 senators report being vaccinated, while two won’t publicly announce their vaccine status and two others — Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Rand Paul of Kentucky — are still refusing to have vaccinated, arguing they got the disease and therefore don’t need it.
Paul, who’s an ophthalmologist, and Johnson assert that the antibodies they’ve been protective against severe reinfection despite the fact the CDC has been advising people that they don’t understand how long immunity lasts and to get the vaccine even if they have had prior infections.
“I thought I was doing everyone a favor,” Johnson told CNN in a phone call in March. “I really don’t believe any of this really is settled science, however, the reason I’m not vaccinated yet is I have had Covid and even when I had it, I had a moderate case. … Now I’m being attacked as being anti-science. It boggles my mind.”
Vaccine hesitancy among Republicans remains an issue as the country races to end the pandemic, many polls have revealed. Kentucky’s other senator, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is a polio survivor and vaccine supporter, has addressed the problem, advocating all Republicans to find the shot.
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GOP Sens. Kevin Cramer and Mike Braun told CNN a few months ago that they likely would find the coronavirus vaccine. However they say that they won’t publicly disclose their vaccination status, arguing it is a personal medical decision.
Cramer, who symbolizes the red state of North Dakota, said he chose not to share whether he obtained or will get the shot”out of respect” for a lot of his constituents that value their privacy.
“What’s really been highlighted back home is that for many, many North Dakotans… that the solitude is more significant than the issue,” Cramer explained. “And actually out of respect for them, I just feel like, you know, we don’t disclose medical information.”
He added of this coronavirus vaccine which”You should feel free to do it if you would like to do it. You should not feel ashamed not to take action if you don’t want to do it. This can be a free nation.”
Similarly, Braun said he believes private decision is more significant.
The Indiana Republican cited many reasons Americans may choose not to get the chance, such as”allergies, personal or religious objections, or worries over underlying health conditions” and argued”it isn’t appropriate to intrude on any American’s individual health decisions” in a statement that his office provided to CNN.
Braun also told CNN this week that his decision not to disclose his vaccination status wasn’t related to how his constituents feel about privacy, but it is his personal view. He contended, though, that the private decision mindset is really a”doctrine that we might have at a place like Indiana.”
Asked if he thinks it’s important to help promote obtaining a Covid vaccine by having the shot and publicly declaring it, as lots of Republicans remain hesitant, Braun said,”No, I think that is something that’s a step too far.”
At the exact same time, both Cramer and Braun recommend Americans get a vaccine to help finish the pandemic should they want to.