Corona in the USA: Fox News reports – and the vaccination rate is already increasing

In the USA, the number of infections rose rapidly, with many states missing the targeted vaccination rate of 70 percent. Fox News in particular took a stand against the government’s campaign. Now he made a U-turn.

There is an abundance of vaccines here. So much that last week alone the US sent 22 million cans to countries in need. It feels like you can get vaccinated here on every street corner – in the museum, at the hairdresser’s, in the drugstore. Even the animals in the big zoos have now had their dose.

If you need an extra boost of motivation, you go where there is a gift on top. Depending on the state, for example, donuts, a joint, a college scholarship, an off-road vehicle or a lucky ticket. Like in California. There the governor personally draws the lottery balls and distributes a 50,000 euro vaccination bonus to each lot number.

Race against the Delta mutant

But it has been clear since the beginning of July at the latest: The vaccination campaign is stalling dangerously and the race against the Delta mutant has begun. Their share in the USA is now 83 percent, announced the head of the epidemic authority Rochelle Walensky. Within a week, the rate of new patients had jumped by 53 percent. “The Delta variant is much more contagious than previous virus variants,” she says with concern. “It’s the most contagious respiratory disease I’ve seen in 20 years of work.”

Almost all of the dead and almost all of the seriously ill had no vaccination protection. Covid-19 has long been a pandemic for the unvaccinated. The situation is dramatic. Not even half of the states have reached President Joe Biden’s target of 70 percent.

“Terror” and “Apartheid”

The syringe has long since become a partisan propaganda tool. Nowhere is this more evident than on the Republican broadcaster Fox News. The vocabulary used to fuel fears of vaccination is designed to trigger deep-seated American trauma. There is talk of “terror”, “Taliban” or “apartheid”.

“Biden wants to rob you of your freedom by vaccinating,” it is claimed. In addition, photo montages show a short president who, with a crazy look, rams an oversized syringe into a baby crying in pain.

How powerful these politically disguised conspiracy narratives are can be seen in the example of Las Vegas in Nevada, which is currently developing into a delta hotspot. Only about 40 percent have full vaccination protection there. The rest, said the local health officer, distrust the Biden government and the vaccination. “Fighting the fight against Covid is difficult enough,” he said. But now to war against each other is terrible.

Trump admirer advises vaccinations

The USA is running out of time in the fight against Corona. Free joints and lottery winnings apparently no longer help – a different strategy is needed. And there seems to be. It was revealed last week that White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki had contacted Fox News – details were not given.

Instead, something suddenly happened that resembles a sensation in the media world. One of the strongest spokesmen and Trump admirers, Shawn Hannity, suddenly advises vaccination. “Take Covid seriously,” he appeals. “Too many people have died. I believe in science and vaccination.”

Sudden change of heart

The White House may have succeeded in doing a coup: a kind of pact with the vaccine opponent as the only effective means of getting people to vaccinate. When asked about the sudden change of heart, Biden said only smugly in passing that he thanked Fox News and the Republicans, they might have had an “enlightenment,” as Catholics say.

It actually seems to be having an effect. In the states of Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri and Nevada, which have been particularly hard hit by the Delta variant, the vaccination rate has recently increased. Before that, well-known Republicans had suddenly spoken out in favor of vaccination – and Fox News had reported.