On Sunday’s edition of ABC’s This Week, co-moderator Martha Raddatz thumbed her nose at Americans who are apparently not listening to Dr. Tony Fauci and the entire medical establishment’s desperate pleas to get COVID booster shots. The whining became almost embarrassing at one point when Raddatz turned to White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Ashish Jha to ask “what do you do?”
After airing Fauci’s last lecture from the White House podium before he retired, Raddatz said “you heard Dr. Fauci the administration is launching a new campaign urging people to get those flu shots, get those COVID boosters.”
Turning to Jha, Raddatz bemoaned that “about 11 percent have gotten the booster so far, maybe 42 million the flu shot, we’ve talked about this so many times. People aren't listening, what do you do?”
WATCH:
ABC's Martha Raddatz whines about people not listening to Fauci and getting COVID boosters: "Only about 11% have gotten the booster so far, maybe 42 million the flu shot. We've talked about this so many times. People aren't listening, what do you do?" pic.twitter.com/P0LQGOftKz
— Kevin Tober (@KevinTober94) November 27, 2022
Jha responded by letting people know they can “move on if they keep their immunity up to date.” He then preached about how vital it is for everyone to get vaccinated: “It's incredibly important as we head into the holidays for people to update their immunity, get the new COVID vaccine, get the flu shot, it’s a great way to stay safe and healthy this holiday season.”
Raddatz jumped in again to fret a “UCLA study that says that adult flu vaccination rates have declined in states where COVID vaccination rates are also low.” She then asked Jha if he’s “concerned that the controversy and hesitancy over COVID vaccines is carrying over to flu vaccines?”
“We know these vaccines first of all are incredibly effective, they’re very safe,” Jha insisted. He then touted a plan to “get out into the community, talk to religious leaders, talk to civil society leaders, community based organizations,” and “have them get out into the community and talk to people.”
“I really believe if we do that and we continue pursuing that strategy, more and more Americans are going to get vaccinated,” Jha said.
ABC’s Raddatz whining about Americans not listening to Fauci and Jha was made possible by CarFax. Their information is linked.
To read the relevant transcript, click “expand”:
ABC’s This Week
11/27/2022
9:22:37 a.m. Eastern
MARTHA RADDATZ: You heard Dr. Fauci the administration is launching a new campaign urging people to get those flu shots, get those COVID boosters, about 11 percent have gotten the booster so far, maybe 42 million the flu shot, we’ve talked about this so many times. People aren't listening, what do you do?DR. ASHISH JHA: Well, first of all, good morning. Thank you for having me here. So, look, it's been obviously a long 2.5 years for Americans and we understand that, you know, people want to move on. The good news is, people can move on if they keep their immunity up to date. I really think when you look historically people tend to get their flu shot in November & December, into January, I think we're gonna see a lot more people getting vaccinated in the upcoming weeks this is why we're launching the campaign we are right now because we think it's incredibly important as we head into the holidays for people to update their immunity, get the new COVID vaccine, get the flu shot, it’s a great way to stay safe and healthy this holiday season.
RADDATZ: But there’s also this UCLA study that says that adult flu vaccination rates have declined in states where COVID vaccination rates are also low. So are you concerned that the controversy and hesitancy over COVID vaccines is carrying over to flu vaccines?
JHA: So, look, here's what we know, we know these vaccines first of all are incredibly effective, they’re very safe. That’s point number one. I think point number two is we know people get vaccinated when they hear it from trusted voices so our strategy is get out into the community, talk to religious leaders, talk to civil society leaders, community based organizations. Have them get out into the community and talk to people. I really believe if we do that and we continue pursuing that strategy, more and more Americans are going to get vaccinated.
