Fox News’ Roberts Deletes Tweet Questioning Covid-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Following Colin Powell’s Death
Topline
Amid a fierce and immediate online backlash, Fox News anchor John Roberts deleted a tweet Monday which suggested Colin Powell’s death from Covid-19 complications “raises new concerns” about the effectiveness of the vaccine—but Roberts was just one of several right-wing pundits, along with at least one GOP lawmaker, to dangerously sowing skepticism about immunization on Monday.
Fox News reporter John Roberts waits for the arrival of White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders to … [+]
AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
In his now-deleted tweet, Roberts failed to note Powell’s immune system was weakened due to treatment for multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer.
Dr. Eric Topol, the New York Times’ Maggie Haberman, CNN’s Jake Tapper and Politico’s Sam Stein quickly fired back at Roberts via Twitter, with Stein arguing that the 84-year-old Powell “is perhaps the only real high profile breakthrough death we know about,” which serves to “underscore how effective the vaccines are.”
Slate’s Tim Requarth wrote, “what (Powell’s) tragic death illustrates isn’t the futility of vaccines but the importance of everyone else getting vaccinated to protect society’s most vulnerable.”
Roberts authored a series of follow-up tweets asserting that he was unfairly characterized as “anti-vax,” noting he was “excited” to get vaccinated, took part in a PSA encouraging vaccination against Covid-19, and plans to get a booster shot “as soon as possible.”
Roberts went on to acknowledge that Powell had myeloma but added he “personally know(s) a number of people who have had breakthrough infections – some of them, quite troubling.”
Key Background:
Powell’s family announced in a Facebook post the former four-star general and secretary of state had died at the Walter Reed National Medical Center in Maryland Monday morning. The family said Powell was fully vaccinated, but it is unknown if he had received his third dose. Medical experts immediately expressed concern that some pundits, who had previously expressed vaccine skepticism, might use Powell’s passing as a way to advance unfounded conspiracy theories related to the safety and efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines. As, in actuality, among the 187 million Americans that have been vaccinated as of Oct 12, less than 7,200 have experienced a breakthrough case that resulted in death, with more than 6,000 of those fatalities among individuals over the age of 65, according to the latest verified data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, the concerns among health experts were well-founded. Early Monday morning, Will Cain, co-host of the popular Fox & Friends program, claimed that Powell’s death would force viewers to “wonder what lies ahead for them” as they “search and they need truth moving forward.” Cain went on to declare Powell’s death is a “is going to require… more truth from our government, from our health leaders” as “state after state and institution after institution” push for vaccine mandates. Controversial Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) quoted Robert’s now-deleted tweet and wrote, “post-vaccine breakthrough infection kills more people than Iraq’s WMD’s ever did.” Nationally syndicated Radio host Shepard Ambellas falsely alleged, without evidence, that Powell’s passing is “just more evidence that the vaccine kills.” Alex Berenson, a former New York Times reporter and noted coronavirus skeptic, mockingly wrote, “Just another ‘rare’ ‘mild’ ‘breakthrough’ case… because vaccines work.”
Tangent:
Unvaccinated people are more than 11 times more likely to die from Covid-19 than fully vaccinated people, according to data published last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC also found unvaccinated individuals are six times more likely to test positive for the virus.
Further Reading:
Ex-Secretary Of State Colin Powell Dies At 84 Of Covid-19 Complications (Forbes)
Rates of COVID-19 Cases and Deaths by Vaccination Status (CDC)
*** This article has been archived for your research. The original version from Forbes can be found here ***
