UPDATED w/ answers from the final 3 holdouts: @thisisinsiderUS found 24 governors haven't gotten their COVID-19 vaccine. Here's who — and why. by @TinaSfon & @sawyerdabear ($) businessinsider.com/governors-covi…
The Republican governors of Texas, Wyoming, and Maryland are lifting pandemic restrictions throughout their states. These governors have already been vaccinated against COVID-19, but the vast majority of their residents still await a potentially life-saving shot.
And at least 26 other American governors have received a COVID-19 vaccination, too — 13 Rs/13 Ds. But 24 other governors — 14 Rs/10 Ds — say they're waiting their turn, abiding by the vaccination distribution guidelines they've helped set or waiting for vaccine supplies to go up.
As Americans scramble to find vaccines, the state leaders are taking wildly different approaches in how they protect themselves — creating tension between getting a shot early to show skeptics it's safe, and appearing like they're jumping the line ahead of their constituents.
Insider contacted the offices of all 50 governors to inquire whether they had received the vaccine. They offered a multitude of reasons why they received it: age, continuity of government, and their own personal health histories, among others.
Governors' differing personal approach to the vaccine mirrors their states' own motley collection of COVID-19 safety policies, which range from prohibitive to virtually nonexistent.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, for one, is receiving significant attention for lifting his state's mask mandate on March 2, even as millions of Texans await access to a vaccine. Only about 8.5% of the Texas population has been fully vaccinated, the Texas Tribune reported on March 10.
Abbott, 63, likely enjoys COVID-19 immunity: He received his first vaccine dose on December 22, just a few days after the first Pfizer/BioNTech doses became available in the United States.
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon received a vaccination on March 4. He plans to lift the state's mask mandate on March 16. Most Wyoming residents have not yet been vaccinated, according to the Wyoming Department of Health.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan got vaccinated on Jan. 18. Hogan on March 12 eased his state's pandemic restrictions — including lifting capacity limits at restaurants and opening up large indoor & outdoor venues to 50% capacity. He is, however, maintaining the state's mask mandate.
Hogan and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers are cancer survivors who've received the vaccine — cancer increases the risk of having a severe case of COVID-19. Maryland and Wisconsin are prioritizing people with cancer.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is also a cancer survivor and fits the state's COVID-19 vaccine age criteria, but has opted to wait until more vaccines are available.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey also received the vaccine because they were age-eligible, their offices said.
A senior level staffer for a D governor told Insider she's worried about her boss, who hasn't been vaccinated because he won't jump the line.
"He's out and about more now than he has been since the summertime. Just determining the right moment has been hard," the staffer said.
"He's out and about more now than he has been since the summertime. Just determining the right moment has been hard," the staffer said.
There's much more from this @TinaSfon - @sawyerdabear deep dive. Subscribe to @thisisinsider and check it out here: businessinsider.com/governors-covi…
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