Alabama governor says it's 'time to start blaming the unvaccinated folks' for 'letting us down'
As COVID-19 cases rise in the state, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) is blasting those choosing not to get vaccinated for "letting us down."
Ivey pleaded with residents of Alabama to get vaccinated against COVID-19 amid a rise in new cases, noting that "the new cases in COVID are because of unvaccinated folks," who she said are "choosing a horrible lifestyle of self-inflicted pain," per CBS 42. When a reporter, pointing out that Alabama is last in the country in its vaccination rate, asked what it will take to get more people vaccinated, Ivey said, "I don't know, you tell me."
"Folks are supposed to have common sense," she said. "But it's time to start blaming the unvaccinated folks, not the regular folks. It's the unvaccinated folks that are letting us down."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The reporter followed up to ask Ivey, "But as the leader of the state, don't you think it's your responsibility to try and help get this situation under control?" Ivey said she's "done all I know how to do," adding, "I can encourage you to do something, but I can't make you take care of yourself."
Alabama, according to CBS, has reported over 9,900 cases of COVID-19 over the past two weeks. But The Washington Post reports that in the state, "only 33.9 percent of the eligible population has been fully vaccinated."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Earth's mini-moon was the moon all along
Under the radar More lunar rocks are likely floating in space
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: February 4, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: February 4, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
FDA approves painkiller said to thwart addiction
Speed Read Suzetrigine, being sold as Journavx, is the first new pharmaceutical pain treatment approved by the FDA in 20 years
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Study finds possible alternative abortion pill
Speed Read An emergency contraception (morning-after) pill called Ella could be an alternative to mifepristone for abortions
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
HMPV is spreading in China but there's no need to worry
The Explainer Respiratory illness is common in winter
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Marty Makary: the medical contrarian who will lead the FDA
In the Spotlight What Johns Hopkins surgeon and commentator Marty Makary will bring to the FDA
By David Faris Published
-
California declares bird flu emergency
Speed Read The emergency came hours after the nation's first person with severe bird flu infection was hospitalized
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Bird flu one mutuation from human threat, study finds
Speed Read A Scripps Research Institute study found one genetic tweak of the virus could enable its spread among people
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Dark chocolate tied to lower diabetes risk
Speed Read The findings were based on the diets of about 192,000 US adults over 34 years
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
ACA opens 2025 enrollment, enters 2024 race
Speed Read Mike Johnson promises big changes to the Affordable Care Act if Trump wins the election
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published