The Biden administration is bolstering its pushback on COVID vaccine critics just as Americans are saying they don't like the president's idea of a door-to-door sales pitch.
White House officials already have begun firing back at politicians and media figures who have taken stances against the government's efforts to push higher vaccination rates, Politico reports.
Now, groups allied with President Joe Biden, including the Democratic National Committee, plan to work with phone carriers to combat text messages and social media posts that don't agree with the White House's version and aid people who have transportation issues getting to vaccination sites. They aim to remove barriers for people getting to those sites, including misinformation sent through social media, Politico reported.
"We are steadfastly committed to keeping politics out of the effort to get every American vaccinated so that we can save lives and help our economy further recover," White House spokesperson Kevin Munoz said. "When we see deliberate efforts to spread misinformation, we view that as an impediment to the country's public health and will not shy away from calling that out."
The White House is pushing back on conservative critics of its door-to-door information campaign, saying that those who claim it is a plan to have government officials show up at people's homes and enforce vaccinations is untrue.
Rather, the administration says, trusted local leaders will be taking part in the effort, and simply explaining to unvaccinated residents why they should take advantage of the vaccine.
The new effort is a reversal of earlier efforts to ignore critics in hopes of not elevating them. But when Biden's July 4 goal of having at least 70% of Americans vaccinated didn't pan out, the administration changed tactics.
Vaccines, as well as mask wearing, have been highly politicized with 10 of the least vaccinated states having been won by former President Donald Trump in November.
A recent Rasmussen poll showed that 53% of voters think it's a bad idea for people to go "door to door – literally knocking on doors" to get people to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical adviser to the president, has said that more than 99% of current COVID deaths are attributed to unvaccinated people. But Fauci himself has become a polarizing figure, and advice coming from his is unlikely to sway many conservatives.
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