Free Republic

One of the main reasons for the current low uptake of the COVID mRNA bivalent booster (less than 43 million doses administered) is the scary anecdotes of side effects overreported in the media. These stories are not effectively countered by presenting unexciting low-risk data, or the equally boring but true knowledge that the more immunity you have the better off you are against COVID’s short- or long-term side effects. You will likely get less sick and you will recover more quickly and completely. But fear of a rare side effect overcomes reasoned reassurance every time. There is also some evidence...

Hospitals across the US are being inundated with COVID-19 patients, as the number of people admitted to intensive care units reaches alarming levels, new data shows. There were 129,748 people being cared for at hospitals for the virus Monday, according to the COVID Tracking Project. It marked the 41st consecutive day that COVID-19 hospitalizations had topped 100,000.

'The mere suggestion that Members of Congress are in any way more important than the very people who gave us the privilege of serving in Congress is appalling.'As COVID-19 vaccine disbursement has begun, the question arises of who deserves the first doses. While many agree that priority should go towards the most vulnerable, including the elderly and health-care workers, one group that likely was nowhere near the top of anyone’s list has jumped to the front of the line: politicians. Public officials were granted priority, and several elected officials made use of their spot in line. While few would begrudge...