The Covid-19 Pandemic has been a point of contention with respect to the government’s handling of the situation. At the center of this dispute is whether or not vaccines and mandates are effective, and whether or not they can be imposed by the government enforcement power. Partisan affiliation remains one of the widest differences in vaccination status: 86% of Democrats and independents who lean toward the Democratic Party have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, compared with 60% of Republicans and Republican leaners. Despite this schism between political parties, 73% of Americans say the statement “vaccines are the best way to protect Americans from COVID-19” accurately describes their beliefs. A KFF survey in July 2021 found a partisan divide on whether the federal government should recommend employers mandate vaccines among employees. 75% of Democrats were in favor, while 67% of Republicans were opposed.
As Covid-19 has become a political issue, it comes as no surprise that the Representatives of the Democrat and Republican parties share the same views as their supporters when it comes to the vaccine. On the Democratic side, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stated that “Right now, I think the most important thing to do is to protect Americans. We do that by getting them vaccinated and getting them boosted.” On the Republican side of the aisle, they do not oppose or support the vaccine, rather they encourage people to use their agency to decide what to do, as evidenced by Donald Trump‘s saying “Do you want to get a vaccine or do you not? Do you want to be left alone or not?”