Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson on Thursday questioned the "big push" to get Americans vaccinated against COVID-19, telling a conservative radio host he's "highly suspicious" of the national campaign and vaccine passports.
The Republican made the comments on Milwaukee's WISN-AM.
"From my standpoint, because it's not a fully-proved vaccine, I think we probably should have limited the distribution to the vulnerable," Sen. Johnson told radio host Vicki McKenna. "To the very young, I see no reason to be pushing vaccines on people and I certainly am going to vigorously resist any kind of government use for imposing of vaccine passports."
Johnson went on to say so-called vaccine passports "could be a very freedom-robbing step."
"If you have a vaccine, quite honestly, why do you care if your neighbor has one or not? You’ve got a vaccine and science is telling you it's very effective. So why is there this big push to make sure everybody gets the vaccine, to the point…you’re going to shame people (and) force them to carry a card to prove that they’ve been vaccinated so they can participate in society?"
"I’m getting highly suspicious of what’s happening here," he added.
McKenna is also a COVID-19 vaccine skeptic.
Johnson, meanwhile, has drawn criticism from both parties in downplaying the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He controversially said he wasn’t concerned for his safety during the riot, but would have been if the rioters were associated with the Black Lives Matter movement.
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