DOTHAN, Ala. – Mississippi has the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rate in the U.S., with about 30% of its population receiving at least shot. An Associated Press analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows Alabama, Louisiana, Idaho and Wyoming are the next four. Those states vote reliably Republican in presidential races. So Republican leaders are stepping up efforts to persuade their supporters to get the shot, at times combating misinformation. The five states with the highest vaccination rates backed Democrat Joe Biden in November. New Hampshire leads the nation with 60% of its population receiving at least one dose, followed by Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut and Maine. The message being pushed by GOP lawmakers is that vaccines are safe and effective, representing a triumph of science and President Donald Trump’s Operation Warp Speed rather than government overreach.
