COVID-19 infections have dropped thanks to effective vaccines, with 62% of U.S. adults having received at least one dose. But some people aren’t very happy about that. Scratch that—some people are very unhappy about it. On Monday, a vaccine protester endangered the lives of vaccination workers in Tennessee when she sped her SUV through a tented vaccination site, nearly hitting the people inside. But it’s not just a question of individual dangerous individuals. There’s also an anti-vaccine industry.
In the Tennessee case, “I had several victims tell me she almost hit them as she fled through the tent at high speeds,” according to an incident report. “I was advised that they were within inches and feet of the vehicle as it came through the tent. Several victims stated that they thought the driver was going to kill them.”
Virginia Christine Lewis Brown faces seven charges of felony reckless endangerment, each of which potentially carries a one- to 15-year prison sentence and $10,000 fine. While she’s the most violent anti-vaccination protester (so far), she’s not alone. Many of the people who are hesitant about getting vaccinated against COVID-19 aren’t hostile to the vaccine—they’re waiting and watching, or are worried about costs. But for others, opposition to the vaccine is part of a larger distrust in the healthcare system, or comes from skepticism that COVID-19 is really a threat at all. The latter message is spread by Republican leaders, and Republican voters are refusing vaccination in large numbers. …
