He waited until mid-July, but on Sunday, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, former House Majority Whip and the second-highest ranking Republican in the House of Representatives, received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination, opting for the Pfizer vaccine.
Scalise had demurred in the past when asked if he had been vaccinated or would be vaccinated, answering simply “soon” on a number of occasions. So what finally spurred him into action?
“Especially with the Delta variant becoming a lot more aggressive and seeing another spike, it was a good time to do it,” he said, according to NOLA.com.
“When you talk to people who run hospitals, in New Orleans or other states, 90% of people in hospital with Delta variant have not been vaccinated. That’s another signal the vaccine works.”
Scalise went on to say he trusts and supports the science behind the shot.
“It’s safe and effective,” Scalise said, noting he supported funding that allowed the Trump administration to fast-track the process. “It was heavily tested on thousands of people before the FDA gave its approval. Some people believe that it might have been rushed. That’s not the case. I’ve been vocal about that for months. I know their process has high standards. The FDA approval process is probably the most respected in the world.”
Scalise also said that while he encouraged others to get vaccinated, he does not support any mandatory vaccinations.
“I don’t think people should be shamed into getting it,” he said. “It’s their choice.”
That decision has seemingly been made along political party lines for many Americans. A Washington Post-ABC News poll pointed out that about 86% of Democrats have received at least one shot of any of the three coronavirus vaccines. For Republicans, the number is around 45%.