The Impact of Vaccine Politics on Excess Republican Deaths

A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that the political divide over coronavirus vaccines may have contributed to a higher rate of excess deaths among registered Republicans in Ohio and Florida during the pandemic. Yale University researchers found that registered Republicans had a higher rate of excess deaths than Democrats after vaccines became available for all adults. The gap in excess death rates was larger in counties with lower vaccination rates and primarily driven by voters in Ohio. The study highlights the potential impact of differences in vaccination attitudes and uptake among Republican and Democratic voters on the severity and trajectory of the pandemic in the United States.