Agnostic.com

5 7

LINK Arkansas Governor: People Call Vaccine a 'Bioweapon,' 'Mind Control'

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he is working against misinformation as he travels around the state urging residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Hutchinson, a Republican, told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union" on Sunday that resistance to the vaccine has "hardened in certain elements" because of "false information" and "myths."

"As I go into these town-hall meetings, someone said, 'Don't call it a vaccine, call it a bioweapon.' And they talk about mind control," Hutchinson said. "Well those are obviously erroneous. Other members of the community correct that."

Misinformation about COVID-19 and the vaccines has spread online throughout the pandemic. A study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate looked at 812,000 anti-vaccine Facebook posts and tweets made between February 1 and March 16. The CCDH found 65% of the content came from a group of 12 users dubbed the "disinformation dozen."

On Facebook, those 12 people were responsible for 73% of anti-vaccine content. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nephew of President John F. Kennedy and a prominent vaccine opponent even before the pandemic, was one of the 12. Another is a natural-health doctor who has published more than 600 articles disparaging the COVID-19 vaccine.

Hutchinson is traveling around Arkansas, where vaccinations are lagging and COVID-19 is surging, to encourage residents to get vaccinated.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention compiled by the Mayo Clinic, 35.9% of the state's population has been fully vaccinated, while 45.2% has received at least one dose. That leaves the state with one of the lowest vaccination rates. Only Alabama and Mississippi have a smaller percentage of fully vaccinated residents.

Arkansas is also among the states seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases as the Delta variant rapidly spreads.

Hutchinson also said Sunday that the rise in cases, especially as young people are being more affected, could encourage more people to get vaccinated.

"We are seeing younger adults going to the hospital. And people in Arkansas and across the nation respond to risk," he said.

HippieChick58 9 July 26
Share

Enjoy being online again!

Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.

Create your free account

5 comments

Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.

2

I clicked the link in the article to see who the natural health doctor was who was spreading disinformation. I had a feeling it was Mercola. His gf Erin Elizabeth also made the 'disinformation dozen.' I'm a fan of natural health and remedies, but those two are way out there.

dkp93 Level 8 July 26, 2021
1

Mind control in Arkansas , try Fox news

bobwjr Level 10 July 26, 2021

What minds are there in Arkansas?

3

At least the governor is trying

bobwjr Level 10 July 26, 2021
5

We can't have any "mind control" in Arkansas. That would be a oxymoron.

2

Yea, and Yankee Doodle put a feather in his cap and called it macaroni.

Were you there? Have any witnesses? Peer reviewed publication?

@PondartIncbendog As a matter of fact I was there, macaroni was an English term in the mid 18th century for men that you’d now see in GQ, “over fashionable” the joke was that Americans pretend to have class and it’s still true today, as evidenced by your response.

@Willow_Wisp How dare you?

@PondartIncbendog I dare, why not? LOL

@Willow_Wisp I, personally don't claim to have any class and I certainly don't see it in many Americans.

Write Comment
You can include a link to this post in your posts and comments by including the text q:611855
Agnostic does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any content. Read full disclaimer.