A number of Republican lawmakers are saying no to COVID-19 vaccines

Republicans are at odds over the wisdom and efficacy of taking the COVID-19 vaccine, undermining national efforts to defeat the coronavirus and reinforcing the views of GOP base voters already reluctant to participate in the ramped-up inoculation program.

Although the top GOP leaders, including Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), were quickly vaccinated in December — and encouraged the public to follow suit — a number of high-profile rank-and-file members say they intend to ignore the advice.

Some of those holdouts say they’re concerned the vaccine poses a greater health threat than COVID-19 itself. Others have indicated they don’t want to jump ahead of constituents in line for vaccines of their own. And still others note that, because they’ve contracted the COVID-19 over the last year, they have the antibodies to fight the disease in the future, precluding the need to be inoculated.

Why it’s important: The hesitancy and muddled messaging arrives as the Biden administration, backed by public health experts, is urging Americans to get a vaccine as soon as they become eligible to do so. The issue, however, has become highly partisan, as a huge swath of Republican voters say they’ll refuse to do so.

Infection not an excuse: “I have not chosen to be vaccinated because I got it naturally and the science of 30 million people — and the statistical validity of a 30 million sample — is pretty overwhelming that naturally immunity exists and works,” said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), an ophthalmologist who contracted COVID last March, frequently clashes with health experts, and does not wear a mask in the Capitol.

But in fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting a shot even if you previously contracted COVID-19, because they are not sure how long the natural immunity lasts once you’re recovered. Current guidance suggests it’s only three months.