Michigan’s plan to vaccinate more Republicans with COVID vaccine

“Education is important in all its forms,” ​​Teresa Branson, deputy health manager at the Kent County Health Department, told Bridge, Michigan.

“Some people are hesitant. They are skeptical. These are all legitimate concerns,” she said. “We need to bring more information to these people.”

According to Branson, the department employs religious leaders from a wide range of regions to disseminate information about the need for vaccination.The partnership is Black Majority Grand Rapids Church To a suburban church that is likely to contain a significant number of conservative or Republican parishioners.

“Many of those (conservative) individuals are people of faith, and they will listen to people of that community of faith,” she said.

Steve Mitchell, a political consultant for the Lansing Republican Party, said he suspected that some hardcore conservatives and Trump supporters would never be upset about the COVID-19 vaccination.

“Some of them are anti-regulatory people. Some are anti-taxers,” said Mitchell, CEO of Mitchell Research & Communications.

“And there’s nothing more restrictive than sticking a needle in your arm and putting some medicine in it,” Mitchell said. He was vaccinated himself and posted on Facebook with an almost positive response.

Mitchell said he believes more conservatives and Trump supporters will come in the coming weeks. This is not necessarily due to some public health campaign, but because so many people they know have been vaccinated without problems.

“I think more people will say’safe, I’ll vaccinate’because more people are shot and they don’t raise a third ear,” he said. “I think time will heal much of this problem.”

Roughly 1 in 4 adults in Michigan People over the age of 18 are likely not planning to vaccinate against the coronavirus, according to a February US census. This percentage is equivalent to nearly 2 million inhabitants. (However, only 9% said they would “definitely” not vaccinate.) And in a poll by Lansing polling firm EPIC-MRA on March 2, 50 people supported Trump. It turned out to be a person. Percentage of Trump supporters said they would not be vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine.

According to experts, widespread resistance can be a significant barrier to reaching “herd immunity” from viruses. 70% to 85% Populations that need to be immunized from COVID (by vaccination or already having the virus) to reduce its spread.

Public health officials are carefully looking for clues as to the best way to motivate skeptics to be attacked.

according to Focus group He voted for President Trump and expressed various fears about the COVID vaccine by long-time Republican pollster Frank Luntz, a group of 19 adults who were not willing to be vaccinated. I called them “hurry,” “,” and “scary.” A reference to the unprecedented pace of development of the COVID vaccine. Three of them are approved for emergency use in the United States Widely accepted by the medical community as safe and effective..

Focus group people also made it clear that they didn’t want to hear from politicians and celebrities about why they should be vaccinated, and that they were unlikely to be persuaded.

“We want to be educated, not educated,” said one participant.

Participants were overwhelmed by a video featuring the approval of the vaccine by all living former US presidents except Donald Trump.

“In fact, it was like a promotion,” said the participants.

When asked if Trump would be more affected by the words directly from Trump and from his doctor about getting the vaccine, all 19 responded to the doctor.

Not surprisingly, Lindavale, a health officer at the Ingham County Health Department, said that vaccination often changed his mind after discussing with doctors and other health care providers. That personal relationship can make all the difference.

“Often people trust their providers when they need them,” she said. “We see people go from” No, I’m not vaccinated “to” I’m vaccinated. ” When they are having that conversation with a trusted provider. “

Lansing Hospital’s medical leaders are reaching out to a network of providers to further facilitate conversations with patients about COVID-19 vaccination, Vail said.

Bale has not seen the only way to reach conservatives who may be reluctant to vaccinate, or other groups, including African-Americans and Hispanics.

“We have to deal with all the different reasons people say whether they are vaccinated. When you are talking about people’s ideology, I don’t know how you change your ideology.”

But Bale disagrees with someone’s belief in vaccines: “It’s absolutely wrong. It’s absolutely right to meet people where they are and not be ashamed. That’s nothing. Because it doesn’t. Conflicts don’t work. “

To date, in Michigan At least one vaccination in about 2.4 million people, About 24 percent of the state’s total population. As the pace of vaccination increases, the state has announced that all people over the age of 16 will be vaccinated from April 5th.

Federal officials say they expect all adult Americans to produce enough vaccines. By the end of May..

Meanwhile, state health officials are promoting multifaceted efforts to boost vaccination among suspicious people, Including TV spots It emphasizes the safety and efficacy of approved vaccines.

“The state’s COVID-19 messaging focuses on combating false information surrounding the entire pandemic, with particular attention to vaccine-repellent populations,” said Lynn, a spokesman for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Satofin says.

Satfin said the state is also trying to improve access to vaccines by vulnerable groups, including blacks and Hispanics. This includes projects for people over the age of 60 with high scores. Federal Social Vulnerability Index Or those who have seen higher mortality rates associated with COVID-19. MDHHS also posted a Facebook video conversation with a vulnerable adult who overcame early skepticism and decided to vaccinate.

MDHHS is a series Virtual community town hallLivestreamed through Facebook to answer protracted questions about vaccine safety and efficacy. The next city hall, set on Friday, is aimed at older people who have not yet been vaccinated.

MDHHS hopes that mobile vaccination will also expand, Sutfin said. “A lot is going on and we remain flexible based on what the data and feedback are telling us. I’m doing it. “

In Kent County, health official Branson said he hopes reluctant residents will change their minds as people around them are vaccinated and encouraged by trusted people.

“Still, we know we won’t reach everything,” she said.