Former Republican Senate Leader Rips Tennessee GOP for ‘Discouraging and Deadly’ Low Vaccination Rates

Former GOP United States Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (2003-2007) railed against the Tennessee Republican Party’s refusal to take the COVID-19 pandemic seriously as well as its “discouraging and deadly” low state-wide vaccination rate.

Frist – a medical doctor and heart transplant surgeon – tore into his party’s crusade against science as well as its lethal opposition to vaccines. The Twitter thread was dedicated mostly to Frist’s home state of Tennessee, which is currently a hotspot for new coronavirus infections due to relatively low vaccination rates.

According to the Worldometer COVID Tracker, nearly 13,000 Tennesseeans have lost their lives to COVID-19. The lackluster vaccination rate is certain to cause an increase in that grim statistic.

“Tennessee ranks 44th in percentage of population fully vaccinated against COVID-19. That’s discouraging and deadly,” Frist tweeted.

#Tennessee ranks 44th in percentage of population fully vaccinated against #Covid19. That’s discouraging and deadly.

— Bill Frist, M.D. (@bfrist) July 16, 2021

“It should be the top priority of our state’s leadership to lead – to unambiguously lead each and every day – in encouraging COVID and childhood vaccinations, especially in the midst of a pandemic where infections and new variants continue to spread. We must also recognize, and actively combat, the rising vaccine hesitancy and skepticism toward science that are driving down the uptake of lifesaving childhood vaccinations for all diseases,” Frist continued.

We must also recognize, and actively combat, the rising vaccine hesitancy and skepticism toward science that are driving down the uptake of lifesaving childhood vaccinations for all diseases.

— Bill Frist, M.D. (@bfrist) July 16, 2021

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“Tennessee can stand by science and save lives, or we can further a dangerous trend that is eroding public health and trust in government,” Frist added. “But it is the responsibility of our state’s leaders to take sometimes uncomfortable, even unpopular, positions when the health and lives of our people are at stake.”

But it is the responsibility of our state’s leaders to take sometimes uncomfortable, even unpopular, positions when the health and lives of our people are at stake.

— Bill Frist, M.D. (@bfrist) July 16, 2021