Free Republic

Around the world, more than 17 million sleeves have rolled up for the first COVID-19 vaccinations, and Australia will start its program next month. Like most adult jabs, this slew of vaccines — including those developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca and Pfizer and BioNTech — are injected into the deltoid: the thick, fleshy muscle of your upper arm. ... By why inject into muscle? Why not in fat just under the skin, straight in a vein, or even up the nose, given that's where we're most likely to encounter the virus? ... First up: unlike the layer of fat...

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel issued an apology after claiming that unvaxxed children are at risk of contracting a "serious condition" from the omicron variant of the coronavirus during an MSNBC interview Wednesday. "With the omicron variant, kids are either going to get the vaccine or they’re likely to get a serious condition of omicron," Emanuel said on "Andrea Mitchell Reports." "Having omicron with the vaccine is almost invariably going to be better and safer for children. I am confused about parents' attitudes. Five and above seems like a no-brainer. Two to five, I understand some hesitancy. Two and under with the...

A leading QAnon promoter who urged both her followers and strangers she passed on the street not to take the COVID vaccine died Thursday of the coronavirus, making her just the latest vaccine opponent killed by the disease. Cirsten Weldon had amassed tens of thousands of followers across right-wing social media networks by promoting the pro-Trump QAnon conspiracy under the screenname “CirstenW.” She was prominent enough to become a sort of QAnon interpreter for comedian conspiracy theorist Roseanne Barr and started recording videos about QAnon with her. In late December, however, Weldon started showing symptoms of coronavirus infection. In her...

Have you noticed how many on the right have changed from being for vaccine choice to becoming anti-vaccine regarding COVID-19? It’s so subtle that most of us haven’t noticed, but there is definitely a shift taking place. This is worrisome, because a lot of elderly people with susceptible conditions are placing themselves at risk of dying without getting the vaccine. Now, what if this is because there is a secret effort on the left to push this shift, since it will result in fewer voters on the right? A look at the data across the U.S. in counties with the...

A state lawmaker who flouted mask requirements in the Maine State House and fought against pandemic restrictions has resigned from his seat because of his wife’s COVID-19 death. Republican Rep. Chris Johansen, of Monticello, told House Speaker Ryan Fecteau in a letter this month that he needs to tend to his family farm. His wife, he wrote, had been dedicated to the farm, freeing him to serve in the Legislature. He was one of seven lawmakers who was stripped of committee assignments for refusing to wear masks in the State House after leaders required them. Both he and his wife...

The Eric Clapton we loved, whose new album is as good as anything he’s ever done, is dead to us, basically. Clapton has doubled down on his anti-vaccine madness and thrown in with Robert K. Kennedy, Jr. Kennedy, a misery to his family– they’ve all criticized him– maintains a loud anti-vaccine campaign himself. Despite suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, Kennedy is anti-public health. His dead uncle, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who fought for decades for universal health insurance, must be throwing up in heaven. Clapton has now allowed himself to be interviewed by Kennedy and featured on his website. Clapton tells...