A new poll conducted by UpOne Insights suggests that voters in Texas overwhelmingly support approving the updated flu vaccine schedule ahead of the season to ensure vaccines are available as soon as possible.
By the Numbers
UpOne Insights polled 800 likely Texas voters on how they felt about the federal government approving and ensuring the availability of updated flu shots, with 89% of MAGA Republicans and 87% of Texan Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) supporters supporting the measure.
85% of Texans overall approve of the measure, with only 8% opposing.
Moreover, 83% of respondents expressed concern that if the updated vaccine approval isn't available in time, insurance companies will deny coverage, forcing families to choose between paying out of pocket or going without the shots altogether.
Nevertheless, the trend reflects MAHA Texans' sentiment that vaccines should be available, but taking them should not be required by law.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation in January, alleging that healthcare providers, insurance providers, and pharmaceutical companies work together to incentivize the recommendation of childhood vaccines that are not proven to be safe or medically necessary.
"I will ensure that Big Pharma and Big Insurance don't bribe medical providers to pressure parents to jab their kids with vaccines they feel aren't safe or necessary," Paxton said in a statement.
Trump's Vaccine Policy
Earlier in August, President Donald Trump issued an executive order aimed at spacing out childhood vaccine schedules and reducing the number of doses, as the MAHA movement argues that parents have the right to be more flexible with immunizations.
At the same time, some have argued that the order was ill-timed, as increasing flexibility is generally viewed, even among MAHA supporters, as a lesser priority than lowering healthcare costs and removing chemical additives from food.
Whit Ayres, a Republican pollster, said with most Americans viewing vaccines positively and believing children should be vaccinated to attend school, even among Republicans, Trump's announcement "does not strike me as the most persuasive political message."
