Kansas senator blames misinformation, bureaucrats for vaccine hesitancy

Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall (R), a medical doctor, slammed federal “bureaucrats — including Dr. Anthony Fauci” in an op-ed on Monday, blaming some Americans’ reluctance to get vaccinated against the coronavirus on misinformation and mixed messaging from Washington.

In a piece published by The Kansas City Star, Marshall said almost half of Kansas residents are uncertain about receiving a vaccine because “politicians and bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., have not been transparent or consistent as they share the science surrounding the vaccine to the American public.”

He also blamed campaign rhetoric and hyperbole.

The Kansas republican argued that federal bureaucrats have “changed direction” without “meaningful explanation,” consistency or an “endgame in sight.”

He accused officials, including Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser, of not being “up-front with us” on the virus, saying they “in turn have lost credibility.”

“The truth is, science on any emerging infectious disease is constantly changing, but federal officials have tried to turn scientific hypotheses into indisputable scripture, adding more confusion and mistrust toward vaccines,” the senator wrote.

To make headways on the issue, Marshall recommended that officials listen to and respect peoples’ freedom not to be vaccinated, be honest in their decisionmaking and establish an end point for mask wearing, which he said would set an incentive to get inoculated.

He also urged bureaucrats to stop “flip-flopping” on percentage rates needed to reach herd immunity and for primary care doctors, nurses and community pharmacists to talk about the vaccine with their patients.

“Bureaucrats can’t keep us from worshiping, gathering with extended family, traveling near and far with friends and enjoying life mask-free,” Marshall concluded.

Reluctance to getting vaccinated is a rising concern among health officials as inoculation rates begin to drop across the country. Recent polls show that Republicans are still among the least likely Americans to receive a vaccine.

On Tuesday, a group of GOP lawmakers who are also physicians, led by Marshall, released a video urging people who are hesitant to do so to get the coronavirus vaccine.