COVID-19 vaccinations are continuing to be administered to politicians, but several lawmakers have drawn criticism for being among the first to line up to be immunized after previously downplaying the severity of the coronavirus pandemic.
Among those is Iowa GOP Senator Joni Ernst. The Republican took to Twitter on Sunday to announce that she received her first does of the vaccine, along with a photo of her receiving the shot. She noted that she took the vaccine at the recommendation of the Office of the Attending Physician.
"I encourage all Iowans and Americans to do the same when their time comes. Thanks to #OperationWarpSpeed and the tireless work of Americans across the country, we are one step closer to defeating this virus," she wrote in a follow-up tweet, before urging others to wear a mask, practice social distancing and follow CDC guidelines.
She went on to encourage others to wear a mask, practice social distancing and follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in order to curb the spread of the virus.
Ernst Claimed Doctors Were Faking COVID-19 Deaths for Profit
However, some were quick to accuse Ernst for being a "hypocrite" given that only a few months ago, she pushed a conspiracy theory claiming that doctors were falsifying COVID-19 deaths to make money.
In September, Ernst promoted an unfounded QAnon conspiracy theory that . President Donald Trump retweeted the debunked claim on Twitter before the micro-blogging platform had the post removed for spreading misinformation.
During a Q&A session on her campaign trail, Ernst said she was "so skeptical" of the coronavirus mortality rate and went on to suggest that doctors were intentionally faking the number of deaths in order to receive more money for caring for the sick patient.
"These health-care providers and others are reimbursed at a higher rate if COVID is tied to it, so what do you think they're doing?" Ernst asked.
Apart from her remark, users also expressed anger at the fact that Ernst was receiving the vaccine before most frontline workers.
Here are some of the reactions:
