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WHY ARE SO MANY NOT TAKING THE COVID-19 VACCINE?

The New York Times this morning reported:

  • Donald Trump insulted Senator Mitch McConnell as a “dumb son of a bitch” at a retreat for Republican donors.
  • The Times columnists Gail Collins and Bret Stephens discuss sex scandals and Congressman Gaetz.
  • Amazon defeated unionism in Alabama by paying all its employees at least $15/hour, more than double the current Federal minimum wage of $7.25.  However, $15/hour translates to $31,000/year, LESS than half of the U.S. median family income.  “The victory leaves Amazon free to handle employees on its own terms,” The Times’s Karen Weise and Michael Corkery write.
  • Hideki Maruyama became the first Japanese to win a major golf tournament, edging out Will Zalatoris, an interesting newcomer who shows promise to win a tournament this year, and Xander Schauffele, who could well prevail in another major this year.  He had a roller coaster round, with a triple bogey on the 16th hole.  

    Maruyama is rather reticent in his public statements, and always uses an interpreter.  When it sort of came out that he has a wife and two children, that was big news.  Asked why he never previously mentioned them, his response was that no one ever asked him that question.  My prediction?  Maruyama will light the Tokyo Olympic flame on July 23, which is a little more than three months away.

    It is appearing that this pandemic will be with us longer that expected.  First those variants, which should be overcome with a booster shot in the Fall.  However, throughout the world, it is surprising how many have said they won't take that shot:

    If you can't read the details click on that graph.  To summarize, the blue bar indicating a no response by country:

    • France  48%
    • Poland  37%
    • Germany/Spain  31%
    • Italy  29%
    • U.S.  26%
    •  
    • China  15%
    • Mexico  13%
    • UK  11%
    • Denmark 10%
    The countries with most "yes I will":
    • UK  73%
    • Denmark  70%
    • India  69%
    • Mexico  68%
    • Australia  64%
    • UAE  63%
    •  
    • U.S.  47%
    • Germany  44%
    •  
    • France  26%

    Another global survey showed acceptance percentage:

    • Gender
      • Female  53.5%
      • Male  45.8%
    • Income level
      • less than $2/day  3.3%
      • $8-$32/day  22.4%
      • more than $32/day  63.3%
    • Education level (and this is surprising!!!)
      • less than high school  28.6%
      • high school and some college  35%
      • bachelor's degree  27.6%
      • postgraduate degree  8.8%
    • Age group (again, surprising)
      • 18-24  15.4%
      • 25-54  62.4%
      • 55 and over  11.1% (????)
    From Pew Research of Americans:
    • Since September, the percentage planning to be vaccinated has risen:
    • In November, only 42% of Black Americans were willing.  Today, this us up to 61%.
    • Unlike that above world willingness of the elderly, in the U.S. this percentage is up to 85%.
    • Females at 66% and males at 72%, also different from the world, which had that reversed, F 54% and M 46%.
    • What's wrong with Republicans?
      • Democrats  83%
      • Republicans 56%
    • Why won't 30% of the public get vaccinated:
    • Maybe I should stop here, but a little surprising that more Americans don't think that vaccinations will help the economy.  76% to 22%, but you would think this would be 90%+.
    • About how well top officials have responded, the medical profession scored well, and Donald Trump did not.  Biden is not rated all that much better than Trump.

    Of course, a lot of this has to do with partisan politics, for only 19% of Republicans responded that Biden was better than Trump, offset by 87% of Democrats:


    Masks have gained in popularity:


    I'll end with a photo:


    -

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