- Republicans Became More Vaccine Hesitant as the Coronavirus Pandemic Unfolded. Republicans consistently viewed the virus to be less threatening than Democrats. Among Democrats, the perceived threat of COVID-19 grew greater with time, while there was no change among Republicans. https://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/pressrelease/republicans-became-more-vaccine-hesitant-as-the-coronavirus-pandemic-unfolded 642 comments science