Why Are Republicans Still Hesitant About Vaccines?

BRIAN, I WANT TO START WITH YOU.

I JUST HAD A CONVERSATION RECENTLY WITH A REPORTER IN INDIA.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CREMATORIUMS WORKING ALL NIGHT LONG AND AT THE SAME TIME HERE I AM IN A COUNTRY WHERE TECHNICALLY A VACCINE IS AVAILABLE TO ANYBODY WHO WANTS IT, YET THERE'S STILL THIS HESITANCY.

WHAT WERE YOU HOPING TO LEARN?

WE WERE HOPING TO LEARN HOW TO REACH PEOPLE.

IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT MESSAGES FROM THE RIGHT MESSENGERS YOU CAN SAVE LIVES.

THAT WAS THE TOTAL POINT OF THE FOCUS GROUPS.

WHAT IS GOING TO GET PEOPLE TO PUT ASIDE THEIR OWN PERSONAL CONCERNS AND MAKE THE CHOICE TO GET VACCINATED?

FRANK, YOU'RE A POLLSTER, YOU KNOW THE POWER OF POLLS.

THEY TELL YOU WHAT PEOPLE THINK, BUT FOCUS GROUPS HAVE THE ABILITY TO TELL US WHY THEY THINK THAT WAY.

I WANT TO JUST GET RIGHT INTO A CLIP HERE BEFORE I ASK THE FIRST QUESTION.

THIS IS A GROUP OF REPUBLICANS, 19 OF THE THAT YOU SPOKE WITH.

LET'S TAKE A LISTEN.

IT'S A NEW CLASS OF VACCINATION.

I THINK THE SHORT-TERM TESTING WAS EXTREMELY GOOD, BUT AGAIN, WE DON'T KNOW THE LONG-TERM SIDE EFFECTS.

I WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AT THIS POINT IN TIME WITH MY AGE AND MY HEALTH, MY FEAR OF THE VACCINE IS MORE THAN MY FEAR OF GETTING THE ILLNESS.

HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD AGREE TO THAT STATEMENT, THAT YOUR FEAR OF THE VACCINE IS GREATER THAN YOUR FEAR OF GETTING THE ILLNESS?

RAISE YOUR HANDS.

THAT IS ALMOST, ALMOST EVERYBODY, NOT EVERYONE, BUT ALMOST EVERYONE.

I SHOULD POINT OUT THAT, FRANK, YOU ALSO SPOKE TO DEMOCRATS ABOUT THIS AND YOU WERE TARGETING PEOPLE WHO WERE SPECIFICALLY VACCINE HESITANT.

AS WE HEAR THAT GENTLEMAN'S RESPONSE, HE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE COMING FROM SOME SORT OF A PHILOSOPHICALLY GROUNDED, ANTI-VACCINATION POSITION.

HIS CONCERN SEEMS REASONABLE.

ABSOLUTELY.

AND I'M GLAD YOU SAID IT THAT WAY, BECAUSE THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE WHO COMMUNICATE A HOSTILITY TO THOSE WHO ARE CONCERNED AND THAT HOSTILITY ACTUALLY MAKES IT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO GET PEOPLE VACCINATED.

YOU DON'T REALIZE THE POWER THAT YOU HAVE, THE POWER THAT THE MEDIA HAS IN ITS COMMENTARY AND WHO IT SPEAKS TO AND HOW IT SPEAKS, THE WORDS IT USES AND HOW IT DELIVERS THOSE WORDS.

I AM SO CAREFUL IN WHAT I SAY AND WHAT I DO TO REMOVE THE POLITICS FROM COVID.

IT WAS PUT INTO IT DURING THE 2020 CAMPAIGN, WHICH IS TRAGIC.

IT'S BEEN A PART OF THE VACCINE EFFORT.

IT SHOULD NOT BE.

I DO HOLD THE FORMER PRESIDENT SOMEWHAT RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS BECAUSE OF COMMENTS THAT HE MADE IN 2020, AND I NEED TO AS SOMEONE WHO'S OFTEN AFFILIATED OR SEEN AS BEING AFFILIATED WITH THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TO CALL EVERYBODY OUT, STOP DOING THIS.

JOE BIDEN SHOULD BE GIVING DONALD TRUMP CREDIT FOR HOW QUICK THOSE VACCINES WERE DEVELOPED AND DONALD TRUMP SHOULD BE GIVING JOE BIDEN CREDIT FOR HOW QUICKLY THEY'VE BEEN DISSEMINATED TO THE POPULATION.

WE ARE NOT REPUBLICANS OR DEMOCRATS WHEN IT COMES TO COVID.

WE ARE EITHER SURVIVORS OR WE'RE VICTIMS.

WE HAVE TO DO THIS BETTER.

I WANT TO PLAY ANOTHER CLIP NOW SHOWING HOW THESE PEOPLE HAVE INTERNALIZED ALL OF THE MESSAGING THEY'VE RECEIVED THROUGH A POLITICAL LENS.

FRANK, CAN I JUST SAY THAT IT'S ALL VERY LOGICAL?

I LOOKED THAT THE LOGICALLY.

THERE'S NO CRAZINESS OF BECAUSE I THINK ONE WAY POLITICALLY, I CAN'T LOOK AT LOGIC AND REASON.

I THINK WHAT YOU SAID VERY KIND OF CAVALIERLY ABOUT, SO WHAT THAT THE PHARMACEUTICALS LET THE RESULTS OUT FIVE DAYS AFTER THE ELECTION.

TO ME, THAT'S A BIG SO WHAT.

IT MAKES YOU DOUBT A LITTLE BIT OF THE MOTIVE AND THE POLITICIZATION OF SCIENCE.

IF YOU REALLY WANT TO TRUST THE SCIENCE, I THINK POLITICS HAS TO BE TAKEN OUT OF IT.

ALSO IF WE COULD BE TOLD BY BEING VACCINATED THINGS WOULD GET BACK TO NORMAL AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WHEN THAT HAPPENS, BUT THAT'S NOT HAPPENING.

NO.

RIGHT.

STILL MASKS, DON'T GET TOGETHER WITH FAMILY.

BIDEN SAID THE OTHER NIGHT YOU COULD HAVE A SMALL GATHERING.

MAYBE.

IF WE BEHAVE.

FOUR PEOPLE AND A FEW HOT DOGS?

THAT TO ME, IF EVERYBODY'S GETTING VACCINATED, WE'VE GOT TO MOVE ON.

WHAT WAS INTERESTING ABOUT THAT CLIP IS WHILE THERE WAS THIS CONSTERNATION, THEY WERE ACTUALLY HIGHLIGHTING SOME OF THE POTENTIAL SILVER LININGS HERE ON HOW THE THINGS THEY WERE ACTUALLY LOOKING TO HEAR FROM.

ONE OF THE THINGS, FRANK, I WANT TO ASK YOU IS, YOU HAD POLITICIANS AND DOCTORS LISTENING TO THESE CONVERSATIONS, THESE FOCUS GROUPS, PARTICIPATING IN AT TIMES.

WHAT DID YOU FIND RESONATED?

WELL, FIRST, LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT DIDN'T RESONATE.

IF YOU DO NOT GIVE THESE PEOPLE A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, IF YOU DON'T TELL THEM THAT LIFE IS GOING TO GO BACK TO NORMAL AND AMERICA IS GOING TO BE AMERICA AGAIN, THEN THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GET THE VACCINE BECAUSE THEY SIMPLY WILL FEEL HELPLESS.

YOU HAVE TO BE POSITIVE, NOT NEGATIVE.

NOT THE CONSEQUENCES IF YOU DON'T GET THE VACCINE, BUT WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS IF YOU DO.

CHRIS CHRISTIE WAS BRILLIANT IN THIS CONVERSATION, BECAUSE HE TALKED ABOUT THE RANDOMNESS OF COVID-19.

WHO OTHER PEOPLE IN MY FAMILY, A 64-YEAR-OLD COUSIN, WHO WAS A SMOKER AND SO SHE HAD SOME POTENTIAL PROBLEMS, GOT IT.

FELT OKAY IN THE BEGINNING, WOUND UP HOSPITALIZED.

HER HUSBAND, 63, NO PREEXISTING CONDITIONS, GREAT SHAPE, IN FACT WAS STILL WORKING EVERY DAY AS AN ACTIVE LONG SHOREMAN ON THE DOCKS IN NEW JERSEY.

HE GOT SICK AS WELL, CAUGHT IT PRESUMABLY FROM HIS WIFE.

THEY BOTH WOUND UP BEING HOSPITALIZED AND TWO WEEKS AGO THEY BOTH PASSED AWAY.

WE TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY CUT BUREAUCRACY AND RED TAPE, BUT THEY DIDN'T CUT CORNERS IN THE RESEARCH.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STANDS OUT TO ME IS AFTER BEING FULLY VACCINATED, ZERO IN THE TRIAL WERE HOSPITALIZED OR DIED.

YOU HAVE SENATOR BILL CASSIDY OF LOUISIANA TALK ABOUT HOW WE WEAR SEAT BELTS NOT BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT, BUT TO HELP US IF WE GET INTO AN ACCIDENT.

KEVIN McCARTHY MENTIONED ISRAELI AND HOW SUCCESSFUL THEY'VE BEEN IN DEALING WITH THE VACCINE.

THE POLITICIANS, EACH OF THEM HAD REALLY STRONG ARGUMENTS BUT IN THE END IT WAS DR. TOM FREEDAN WHO PRESENTED THE FACTS BEHIND THE VACCINE.

MORE THAN 95% OF THE DOCTORS WHO HAVE BEEN OFFERED THIS VACCINE HAVE GOTTEN IT AS SOON AS THEY CAN.

FOUR, THE MORE WE VACCINATE, THE FASTER WE CAN GET BACK TO GROWING OUR ECONOMY AND GETTING JOBS.

AND FIVE, IF PEOPLE GET VACCINATED, WE'RE GOING TO SAVE AT LEAST 100,000 LIVES OF AMERICANS WHO WOULD OTHERWISE BE KILLED BY COVID.

I WANT A SHOW OF HANDS.

HOW MANY OF YOU SAY THOSE FIVE FACTS ARE IMPACTFUL TO YOU?

WOW.

THAT'S A LOT.

IN THE END, THE POLITICIANS ARE NOT GOING TO CONVINCE ANYONE TO GET A VACCINE.

IT'S GOING TO BE YOUR PERSONAL DOCTOR.

IF ONE THING WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS BROADCAST RIGHT NOW, IF WE GET DOCTORS INVOLVED AND GET THEM TO DELIVER MESSAGES TO PATIENTS PROACTIVITY, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT EVEN THOSE TRUMP PEOPLE, EVEN AFRICAN-AMERICANS WHO ARE HESITANT BECAUSE OF PREVIOUS ACTIONS OF THEIR GOVERNMENT, YOUR PERSONAL DOCTOR WILL OVERCOME ALL OF THAT.

AND THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY HAS A ROLE NOT JUST TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE AND HEALTHY BUT TO REACH OUT TO THEIR PATIENTS PROACTIVELY, DELIVER A VIDEO, DELIVER A MESSAGE, GET THIS VACCINE BECAUSE I WANT TO CONTINUE TO TREAT YOU FOR THE REST OF YOUR LONG LIFE.

HOW DO YOU GET TO SOMEPLACE WHERE THERE'S A SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF FACT, A DEPOLITICIZATION OF SCIENCE?

IS THAT POSSIBLE?

THE SCARIEST PART FOR ME IS I DON'T THINK EITHER SIDE IS ANTI-SCIENCE.

I THINK THEY HAVE FOUND SCIENTISTS WHO AGREE WITH THEM.

SO NOW WE HAVE DIFFERENT GROUPS BELIEVING DIFFERENT FACTS.

THIS IS WHERE WE NEED BIPARTISAN COOPERATION.

WE DON'T NEED TO DEVOLVE EVERY NIGHT AT 8:00 TO DIFFERENT COMPANIES PRODUCING DIFFERENT FACTS AND PERSPECTIVES.

THE FACT THAT EVERYTHING'S DEVOLVED INTO A POLITICAL DEBATE MAKES DOING EVERYTHING HARDER.

WE'RE NOT DEBATING WHETHER YOU SHOULD TAKE A VACCINE.

WE'RE DEBATING YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON LIBERTY.

WHEN POLITICS CORRUPTS PUBLIC HEALTH, WE CAN'T DO OUR JOB AS EFFECTIVELY.

THE VACCINE PASSPORT IS A GREAT EXAMPLE.

HAVING A VERIFICATION OF VACCINATION CAN GET US BACK INTO PLACES SOONER AND SAFER.

THE PROBLEM WAS THE MINUTE A PASSPORT WAS SUGGESTED, IT WAS IMMEDIATELY POLITICIZED.

NOW WE LOST THAT TOOL OUT OF OUR PUBLIC HEALTH TOOLBOX AND IT COULD HAVE BEEN CRITICAL.

FRANK, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT TO FEEL PRESSURED INTO THIS CHOICE.

THAT CAME UP REPEATEDLY IN THE FOCUS GROUPS.

SO EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN INFECT OTHER PEOPLE, YOU SHOULD HAVE THAT RIGHT?

I THINK WHETHER OR NOT YOU GET THE VACCINE, IT SHOULD BE A CHOICE.

EVEN THOUGH MY HUSBAND AND I BOTH SURVIVED COVID LAST MONTH, HE ALMOST DIED, BUT I STILL THINK THAT AT SOME POINT I MIGHT BE FORCED TO DO IT AND I WOULD RATHER IT BE MY CHOICE THAN IT BE FORCED UPON ME BY OTHER ENTITIES.

WHAT IS CONTRIBUTING TO MAKING THESE PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THIS IS A MANDATE THAT IS BEING IMPOSED ON THEM, THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE A CHOICE AND THAT IF THEY EXPRESS THEIR HESITANCY THAT THEY WILL BE RIDICULED, MARGINALIZED, PUT INTO SOME SORT OF DUMMY BRACKET?

IT'S WHAT THEY'VE READ IN THE NEWSPAPERS.

IT'S WHAT THEY'VE SEEN ON TELEVISION.

IT'S WHAT THEY GET IN SOME CASES ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.

I DID A SHOW A FEW WEEKS AGO AND THEY HAD ON A DOCTOR WHO'S JUST SPENT THE ENTIRE TIME CONDEMNING REPUBLICANS IN TEXAS FOR NOT GETTING THE VACCINE.

THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW WAS HIM SAYING HOW HORRIBLE THESE PEOPLE WERE.

THEY ASKED THE HOST, DO YOU REALLY THINK THIS HELPED A SINGLE REPUBLICAN GET VACCINATED?

THE BLACK COMMUNITY AND THE BROWN COMMUNITY HAVE THE SAME CHALLENGES FOR DIFFERENT REASONS, BUT THEY'RE BOTH SKEPTICAL OF GOVERNMENT AND THEY'RE BOTH SKEPTICAL OF THE PROFESSIONALS TELLING THEM WHAT TO DO.

WE CELEBRATE THEM FOR THEIR CONCERN AND WE MAKE AN EFFORT TO REACH OUT TO THEM.

I WANT TO REACH OUT TO EVERYONE.

IT'S BEST WHEN IT COMES FROM YOUR DOCTOR, SECOND IS YOUR FAMILY MEMBER AND FRANKLY IT'S WORSE IF IT COMES FROM A GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRAT, AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.

BY THE WAY, IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY MY LANGUAGE CHANGED BECAUSE OF THIS.

I USED TO CALL THEM GOVERNMENT HEALTH EXPERTS.

I WILL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN EVER.

THEY'RE PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS.

IF THEY'RE GOVERNMENT HEALTH EXPERTS, IT MEANS THEY'RE PARTISAN OR POLITICAL.

IF THEY'RE HEALTH EXPERTS, IT MEANS THEY PRIORITIZE YOU AND ME.

YOU HAVE COMMUNICATION TIPS THAT ALL OF US CAN USE BUT ALSO THAT HEALTH PROFESSIONALS CAN USE.

THE TOP OF THE SECOND PAGE, ONE OF THE KEY MESSAGING THINGS IS, QUOTE, BY GETTING VACCINATED, YOU CAN HELP END THE DAMAGE TO THE ECONOMY, PREVENT MORE ILLNESSES AND DEATHS IN AMERICA AND ELIMINATE AND ERADICATE COVID-19.

IT GOES TO WHAT FRANK IS TALKING ABOUT.

YOU'RE NOT TRYING TO PENALIZE PEOPLE FOR BEHAVIOR IF THEY DON'T GET THE VACCINE.

YOU'RE REALLY TRYING TO SPELL OUT OPPORTUNITY.

THE BLAMING AND SHAMING HAS TO STOP.

FRANK WAS FORTUNATE TO TEACH ME THIS ONE SENTENCE.

I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE VIRUS AND THE VACCINE.

WHAT QUESTIONS CAN I ANSWER FOR YOU?

THAT OPENS UP CONVERSATION.

IT INVITES AN EXCHANGE OF KNOWLEDGE AND IT DOESN'T SHUT DOWN.

IT DOESN'T RIDICULE.

YOU ONLY RIDICULE IF YOU'RE DEBATING.

WE'RE NOT DEBATING THIS.

WE'RE TRYING TO EDUCATE, INFORM AND LET PEOPLE MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR THEM.

THE CONSTANT POLITICAL DEBATE THAT WE HAVE IN THIS COUNTRY HAS EXTENDED INTO HEALTH ISSUES LIKE COVID AND THE VACCINATION.

THAT JUST HAS TO STOP OR WE WILL CONTINUE TO DELAY THE END OF THIS PANDEMIC.

FRANK, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS UPLIFTING IS THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE IN THESE FOCUS GROUPS WHO CHANGED THEIR MINDS.

EVERYONE IN THIS GROUP EXPRESSED THAT YOU'RE EITHER VERY HESITANT OR EXTREMELY HESITANT, BUT YOU ALL DECIDED TO GET THE VACCINE.

I WANT TO KNOW THE MOMENT WHEN YOU SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT'S IT, EVEN THOUGH I'M HESITANT, I'M GOING TO GET IT.

MARIE FROM NEW YORK?

WHEN I DID THE LAST FOCUS GROUP WITH YOU AND YOU HAD THE DOCTOR FROM THE CDC ON, HE EXPLAINED IT MUCH BETTER THAN FAUCI OR ANY OF THEM EVER DID.

GALE FROM D.C.?

LOST FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND PEOPLE GETTING THE VACCINE WERE SURVIVING IT.

PHILLIP FROM NEW JERSEY, WHAT WAS THE PRECISE MOMENT THAT YOU DECIDED TO GET THE VACCINE?

THE PRECISE MOMENT I DECIDED TO GET THE VACCINE WAS AFTER TALKING TO SOME HIGHLY CREDIBLE MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS THAT ARE FAMILY FRIENDS IN NEW YORK AND ARE FIRST RESPONDERS ON THE LINE EVERY DAY LOOKING AT WHAT'S COMING IN AND OUT AND WHAT THEY'RE BAGGING AND TAGGING.

SO WE SAW SOME MINDS CHANGE IN A FOCUS GROUP.

HOW DO WE SCALE THIS UP TO A MUCH LARGER POPULATION?

WE NOW KNOW THE WORDS AND THE FACTS AND THE ARGUMENTS AND THE PRINCIPLES BEHIND IT.

WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT NEEDS TO BE SAID.

MY FRUSTRATION IS NEITHER PRESIDENT, NEITHER FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP OR CURRENT PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN ARE GOING AS FAR AS WE NEED TO GO.

MY FRUSTRATION IS THAT ANTHONY FAUCI WHO IS CLEARLY AN EXPERT AND CLEARLY KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOING HAS SAID THINGS OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS THAT ACTUALLY BUILD THE CASE AGAINST HIM OR ALLOW POLITICIANS TO ATTACK HIM POLITICALLY.

I THINK IT'S AN ISSUE OF WILL.

DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A STATEMENT OR DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT CHANGE OR DO YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO HAVE IMPACT?

THE PROBLEM IS THIS IS WHY I VALUE SO MUCH THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY, THE MESSAGE IS DELIVERS BY YOUR DOCTOR.

YOUR DOCTOR IS DEVOID OF POLITICS, PARTISANSHIP, GOVERNMENT, EVERYTHING.

IT WILL BE TAKEN IN AND EVALUATED ON ITS OWN MERIT.

ANYONE ELSE IN THIS DEBATE IS JUST NOT GOING TO BE AS EFFECTIVE.

WE FOCUSED A LOT ON ACCEPTANCE.

ONCE WE USE THE RIGHT WORDS AND PEOPLE HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE VACCINES, THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GET -- AND PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO GO TO MASS VACCINATION SITES.

THEY WANT TO GET THEIR VACCINE IN THEIR DOCTOR'S OFFICE.

WE NEED 24 HOUR CLINICS.

WE NEED WALK-IN AVAILABILITY FOR THE VACCINE.

WE ARE TRANSITIONING INTO A TIME WHEN THOSE WHO ARE TAKING THE VACCINE NOW, IT MAY NOT BE A LIFE AND DEATH DECISION FOR THEM.

WE NEED TO MAKE SURE EVERY SINGLE BARRIER HAS BEEN ADDRESSED SO THEY CAN SIMPLY AND EASILY MAKE THIS CHOICE AND MAKE GETTING THE VACCINE THE EASY CHOICE IS THE WAY TO GET PEOPLE TO TAKE IT.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

THANK YOU.