A Biden administration that vowed to restore Americans’ faith in public health has grown increasingly paralyzed over how to combat the resurgence in vaccine skepticism.

And internally, aides and advisers concede there is no comprehensive plan for countering a movement that’s steadily expanded its influence on the president’s watch.

The rising appeal of anti-vaccine activism has been underscored by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s insurgent presidential campaign and fueled by prominent factions of the GOP. The mainstreaming of a once-fringe movement has horrified federal health officials, who blame it for seeding dangerous conspiracy theories and bolstering a Covid-era backlash to the nation’s broader public health practices.

But as President Joe Biden ramps up a reelection campaign centered on his vision for a post-pandemic America, there’s little interest among his aides in courting a high-profile vaccine fight — and even less certainty of how to win.

“There’s a real challenge here,” said one senior official who’s worked on the Covid response and was granted anonymity to speak candidly. “But they keep just hoping it’ll go away.”

The White House’s reticence is compounded by legal and practical concerns that have cut off key avenues for repelling the anti-vaccine movement, according to interviews with eight current and former administration officials and others close to the process.

  • Seraph@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    Eventually even stupid people will notice or they’ll be dead.

    Apparently you haven’t been paying attention to this whole COVID deal? And to the other comments point you need to meet a threshold in the population for a vaccine to do what’s intended.

    • Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Tbf, the majority of deaths were in red counties with far higher rates of antivaxers. The stupid people are dying at higher rates, but it’s infuriating that they’re taking smart people who are vaccine ineligible with them.

    • Whirlybird
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      1 year ago

      You also need the vaccine to actually stop infections and spread of the thing it’s vaccinating against, which unfortunately the Covid vaccine doesn’t do.

      In terms of vaccines the Covid one is among the worst because vaccinated people are still dying from Covid in large numbers.