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Public opinion polling shows that vaccine hesitancy remains prevalent and diverse in Texas, even as the number of Texans vaccinated against COVID-19 slowly climbs. Perhaps the most important lesson after a year of extensive polling is that although there are well-documented partisan differences in the stated intention to get vaccinated among Texans, hesitancy is not only a Republican problem.

More Republicans than Democrats did express hesitancy or outright refusal to get a COVID vaccine, but 1 in 4 Texas Democrats (27%) also expressed reluctance in a recent University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll. This is representative of a broader underlying problem: Skepticism about vaccines exists among a broad array of Texans.

In order to separate perceptions of vaccines as a medical procedure from partisan impulses that many Texans may harbor, we separated considerations of vaccines in general from the COVID vaccine in particular in our polling. We asked Texans whether vaccines are generally safe and, in a separate item, whether they are generally effective, before we asked their opinions on COVID-19 and the COVID vaccine.

Asked this way, only 56% of Texans expressed that vaccines are generally both safe and effective. So nearly half of Texans, 44%, would not commit to what has been an implicit or explicit feature of vaccine messaging: the assumption that most people trust vaccines, or at least dont experience much internal conflict in reaching the conclusion that the benefits of getting vaccinated outweigh the risk, even if they harbor concerns about coronavirus vaccines.

Texans who view the coronavirus as less than a significant crisis, as indicated in previous polls, are unsurprisingly more likely to express hesitancy about getting vaccinated. Although Texas Republicans make up a large share of this group, it is by no means an exclusively Republican group. More than 1 in 4 voters who dont view the virus as a significant crisis identify as Democrats or political independents.

A relatively high degree of reluctance to obtain the vaccine among Black Americans has already been widely noted and continues to be aggressively addressed by Black opinion leaders and public health officials. Texas is no exception. African Americans, a largely Democratic group, do appear to be less inclined than white Texans to say that they will definitely get a COVID vaccine: 38% of white Texans say they will do so, but only 28% of Black Texans.

Education and age also matter. Texans without a college education, a group made up of similarly large shares of registered voters in both parties, are more reluctant than Texans with college or postgraduate degrees to say they will get vaccinated, as are younger Texans compared with older again, a group not uniformly Democratic or Republican.

Yes, partisan perceptions are informed and reinforced by messages sent by the parties leaders. Donald Trump spent a lot of his time politicizing the virus as an overblown threat, then did the same when he used a promised vaccine as a hail-Mary campaign prop. Gov. Greg Abbotts promotion of vaccines and their availability habitually includes subtweeting reminders like Vaccines are always voluntary, never forced or simply Always voluntary.

But while 52% of Republicans expressed skepticism about vaccinations in general, so too did nearly 1 in 3 Texas Democrats (30%).

Elected officials of both parties need to send clear signals about vaccination without partisan pandering. Relentless promotion of COVID-19 vaccination strategically targeted at skepticism wherever it resides will both address the public health crisis posed by the pandemic and spur economic recovery. And in doing so, it can overcome the false dichotomy between the two that partisan politics have propagated.

Resting the explanation for vaccine hesitancy on partisanship alone does Texas and the country a disservice. It reinforces an already costly, dangerous and deadly manifestation of partisan polarization. Achieving herd immunity requires addressing Republican skepticism toward the coronavirus and the vaccines, but it will also take turning collective public health attention toward the many other Texans who are less certain about vaccines than is often assumed.

Jim Henson is the director of the Texas Politics Project at The University of Texas at Austin.

Joshua Blank is the research director of the Texas Politics Project at The University of Texas at Austin.

A version of this op-ed appeared in the Dallas Morning News, Austin American-Statesman, San Antonio Express News, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Kaiser Health News, and the Waco Tribune-Herald.

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Vaccine Hesitancy in Texas is More Than a Republican Issue - UT News - UT News | The University of Texas at Austin

Doug Deters| Florida Times-Union

First of all, as a school teacher, proud Republican and citizen of Florida I want to sincerely thank our political representatives in Tallahassee for having in-person learning all year! You stepped up and took the lead nationally when many states caved and some states/school districts are still not having in-person learning, which is disgraceful in my opinion.

With that said, please focus on getting us "back to normal" in regards to fighting COVID-19, continuing to get our citizens vaccinated at break-neck speed and keeping our economy open and growing.Please stop with the anti-union legislation and focus on what is most important during this critical time in history.

The Republican sponsored Senate Bill 1014 requires actions such as all teachers union membership applications to add phrases like "Right to Work State" in bold print. Newsflash my fellow Republicans: Teachers are professionals and we are already well aware what the laws are concerning our local unions.

Members would have to "renew" their membership yearly. Doing this entails filling out another application, contacting human resources to renew our payment deduction from our paychecks and essentially adds unnecessary paperwork for us and the school district. But we all know how much teachers love paperwork! This particular part of the bill makes as much sense as my wife and I renewing our marriage license yearly or having to renew our mortgage and car loan applications on a yearly basis. Newsflash to my fellow Republicans: Teachers are professionals and if we want to terminate our membership (which we are free to do any time) we are well aware how to take the appropriate steps.

Currently union membership is anonymous. SB 1014 will make named membership rosters available to the Public Employee Relations Commission. Don't worry readers, I don't know what that is either so let me translate. Currently principals do not have an active roster of who is a member and who is not a member at each school for privacy reasons. This helps ensure that members (or non-members) are not targeted.

I think my fellow Republicans will see many unintended consequences that will hurt the very people they want to "strengthen;" non-members. Let's think about this from a principals perspective. If a school administrator has to reduce his or her workforce (which happens quite often) and they have access to an active roster, they will likely target the non-members. Why? Non-members will not be able to "put up a fight" that an active member will be able to. Active members have the power of representation, which is a best advantage of being in the local union. A union member has someone that will fight for their rights and exhaust every avenue possible for a particular member to keep their job. Newsflash to my fellow Republicans: Your bill will likely hurt your base of voters.

So my fellow Republican leaders please stick to your strengths like battling COVID-19, getting people vaccinated, growing our economy and getting our state back to normal (I am sick of wearing a mask!!). The citizens of Florida need you focused on that more than ever!

Doug Deters is aClay County teacher and Duval County resident.

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Guest column: Republican leaders, focus on the economy not taking away teacher rights - The Florida Times-Union

BALTIMORE, April 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --b.well Connected Healthtoday announced a partnership with Mastercard to provide individuals a simpler and more secure way to prove their identity online and in-person when accessing healthcare services.

The b.well platform brings together patient data across providers, insurers, pharmacies, and a patient's own apps and devices, so people can share their information, manage their medications, understand their costs, and receive personalized health insights and alerts. Now, with the introduction of Mastercard's ID Verification service, b.well users will also be able to securely verify their identity in real time using their mobile phones.

"Consumers want to use their phones to connect with their doctors, get information about their insurance, and share sensitive information with trusted sources, but the process for authenticating themselves is complicated, difficult, and not always secure," said Kristen Valdes, CEO and Founder of b.well. "Our partnership with Mastercard solves that problem by enabling consumers to protect their identity, while at the same time simplifying the verification of their identity, giving them more control over their personal information and streamlining interactions with their providers and health plan."

The partnership enables healthcare organizations to provide their members and patients with a biometric alternative to verify their identity in-person or virtually, replacing traditional processes involving physical documents such as a driver's license. Mastercard's ID Verification service employs a combination of government ID document scanning, facial biometrics with liveness detection, and mobile phone intelligence to deliver high success rates for automated user verification.

ThedaCare, a 7-hospital Wisconsin health system that has made b.well available to its communities under the name "Ripple," is the first U.S. health system to use Mastercard ID Verification.

"As part of our mission of creating a healthier community, we strive to make it easier for our patients and community members to use digital tools to engage with our providers and manage their health," said Jim Albin, Chief Information Officer of ThedaCare. "The Mastercard ID Verification provided through Ripple offers added safety and security for them to use their smartphones to verify their identity when accessing virtual care or sharing personal medical information, adding convenience as well as peace of mind."

"Mastercard is working to deliver a globally interoperable ID, ensuring strong security and governance. Our partnership with b.well offers consumers the ability to interact with their health plan providers and third parties while better protecting their personal identity information," said Sarah Clark, Senior Vice President Digital Identity of Mastercard. "We're pleased to join b.well in helping to provide consumers with a trusted and truly patient-centered digital health care journey."

b.well will offer the service to its health plan and health system customers, who depend on b.well's Connected Health Platform to engage and connect their members and patients in a single mobile application.

Mastercard ID Verification is designed to comply with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2), the federal government's highest level of assurance for remote consumer-facing identity proofing.The NIST IAL2 benchmark is cited as a requirement in many healthcare use cases involving patient data sharing, aligned with the ONC Cures Act Final Rule for secure patient access to their medical record.

About b.well Connected Health

b.wellConnected Health is a healthcare technology company providing platform services comprised of five core capabilities that work together to enable health systems, payers, and employers with a configurable and personalized digital health experience for their populations. The b.well technology platform is transforming how consumers interact with the healthcare system by integrating data, insights, and partners into a single customized solution that helps people take control of their healthcare experience.

Media Contacts:

Todd Stein for b.well

510-417-0612

todd@toddsteincommunications.com

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b.well and Mastercard Partner to Give Consumers Secure, Mobile Control Over Their Digital Health Information - Herald-Mail Media

Cox today unveiled new eye-tracking technology in Phoenix and Tucson that empowers people with disabilities to control their TV with their eyes. The Accessible Web Remote for Contour gives those who have lost fine motor skills whether from degenerative conditions or paralysis the ability to browse the video guide with a glance.

Specifically, afreeweb-based tool is navigableusing various assistive technologies already owned by customers, including eye gaze hardware and software, switch controls, and sip-and-puff systems, which the user controls by gently blowing into a tube.

READ ALSO: Cox Business launches work-at-home solution for remote workforce

Eye-tracking technology gives people living with conditions like paraplegia, Parkinsons disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) the same access to their TVs as customers with the latest edition of Contour.

Innovative technology like this gives people with disabilities an added level of independence, said Steve Gleason, founder of Team Gleason and former New Orleans Saints football player who has been living with ALS since 2011. We appreciate that companies like Cox continue to empower their users by adopting products like the Accessible Web Remote, which allows every customer to do something most people take for granted, like controlling their TV.

According to the Bureau of Internet Accessibility, approximately 16% of people in the United States have difficulties with their physical functioning, making things like using a traditional TV remote either a challenge or impossible, depending on the condition. Throughout the last three years, Cox has partnered with organizations like Team Gleason to ensure accessible design and development of its products, increase awareness and education, and improve processes and procedures focusing on disability inclusion.

Cox is proud to partner with Team Gleason because we believe in its mission to improve life for people living with conditions such as ALS, said John Wolfe, Senior Vice President and Region Manager for Cox, Southwest Region. We will continue to create products and solutions with accessibility built in, so all Cox customers can use our products.

Customers can now visithttps://webremote.cox.comto sync their device and begin changing channels, set a recording, search for programming within the Contour guide, and access integrated streaming apps all with a glance of their eyes.

To learn more about accessibility, please visitcox.com/accessibility.

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Cox uses eye-tracking technology to help disabled control TV with eyes - AZ Big Media

Partisanmedia outlets are often blamed for growing polarization, but new research points to another consequence of consuming partisan news: an erosion of trust in the media.

A team of researchers combined computational social science techniques and experimentation to study the long-term effects of online partisan media on political opinions and trust.

Illustration by

Egan Jimenez, Princeton School of Public and International Affairs

Internet users were asked to change their default browser homepages to either the Huffington Post, a left-leaning news site, or Fox News, a more conservative outlet, during the 2018 U.S. midterm elections. As participants went about their daily activities, they allowed the researchers to survey them multiple times as well as to collect data on millions of web visits and their posts on Twitter.

After eight weeks, the participants trust in the media appeared to decrease, and this effect remained detectable nearly a year later for visitors to both partisan news sites. Increased exposure to partisan news led to an immediate though short-lived boost in the number of visits to both sites, as well as improved knowledge of recent events. However, these effects did not appear to translate to changes in political attitudes, opinionsor behaviors.

The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, illustrate a powerful new approach for studying the effects of exposure to partisan news. The results also expose a subtle, long-term effect that has eluded the attention of prior research: skepticism of the media after prolonged news exposure.

Past studies have shown links between exposure to partisan news and polarization, but the driver behind this has been up for debate, said study co-author Andy Guess, assistant professor of politics and public affairs at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. Our work adds a piece to this puzzle, showing that its difficult for people to be persuaded by competing media outlets during an election campaign. That said, longer time spent on these sites does lead to a growing distrust in the news.

Guess conducted the study with Pablo Barber of the University of Southern California; Simon Munzert of the Hertie School; and JungHwan Yang of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The researchers partnered with the online polling firm YouGov, an international research data and analytics group. They initially recruited 1,551 respondents from YouGovs Pulse panel, which included users who had previously installed passive metering software on their desktop and mobile devices. This software collects in-depth data about online behaviors.

Participants agreed to join a Politics and Media study with multiple survey waves and could leave at any time.

In the first waves of the study, the researchers asked participants about the news they consume, their attitudes on domestic and foreign policy issues, whether they voted and their voting preferences, as well as if they approved of President Donald Trump. They also were asked to predict what might happen in the 2018 U.S. midterm elections.

In the third survey wave, the researchers implemented what they call a nudge-like approach where a third of the group was asked to change their browser homepage to a left-leaning news outlet (Huffington Post) and another third was asked to change it to a right-leaning news outlet (Fox News). The other third werent asked to change anything, becoming the control group.

The researchers chose Fox News and Huffington Post for their significance in the current political environment, as well as on the basis of empirical web tracking data of who consumes news on their sites.

They found that those in the Huffington Post homepage group visited approximately one additional page on the website per day, which amounted to nearly 50 seconds of additional browsing time.. The Fox News group visited nearly four more pages per day, or an additional two minutes. Before the study, participants had only spent about 34 minutes per week on average on any news site.

Study subjects were able to recognize and recall recent political events and distinguish them from made-up events more accurately than those in the control group. This held true regardless of which news site they viewed. That said, their political beliefs and voting behaviors did not measurably change.

Guess and his collaborators currently have other research papers in the works using the same data from YouGov.

We asked our study participants to change a default setting on their devices the browser homepage. The result was a classic nudge-like effect, demonstrating the importance of basic digital opt-ins to structure peoples information consumption. Just as we were able to boost the partisan composition of peoples news diets, social platforms, public media, and other intermediaries can draw on our findings to promote authoritative, nonpartisan sources of information. This could be part of the solution as society looks for ways to reverse our downward spiral of distrust, Guess said.

The paper, The consequences of online partisan media, first appeared online in PNAS on March 29. It is co-authored by Andrew Guess of Princeton University; Pablo Barber of the University of Southern California; Simon Munzert of the Hertie School; and JungHwan Yang of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

This research was funded by a grant from the Volkswagen Foundation Computational Social Science Initiative. The experiment was additionally supported by the Princeton University Committee on Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences and the Center for International Studies at the University of Southern California.

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Consuming online partisan news leads to distrust in the media Read more - Princeton University