美国总统乔·拜登(Joe Biden)推动招募志愿者，包括当地医生和牧师，去“敲门”鼓励一些州的疫苗接种，这在本周引发了保守派的强烈抗议，他们错误地将这一努力描述为向强硬的不情愿的美国人部署政府特工。
右翼媒体和共和党政客的反击推特促使白宫周四做出了尖锐的回应，称任何敲门行动都将由当地社区志愿者领导。
拜登的COVID协调员杰夫·齐恩茨(Jeff Zients)说:“我要说，对于那些提供错误信息并试图错误描述这种‘可信赖的信使’工作的个人、组织，我相信你们正在对国家和医生、信仰领袖、社区领袖以及其他致力于让人们接种疫苗、拯救生命和帮助结束这场大流行的人造成伤害。
本周早些时候，在错过了自己确保70%的美国成年人在7月4日之前至少接种一针疫苗的目标后，拜登呼吁加强疫苗接种战略，依靠信仰领袖、当地医疗专业人员和社区组织等志愿者来巡视社区。
他还承诺，将向任何请求帮助的州派出白宫协调的“增援小组”，包括帮助追踪疫情、加强测试或为公众定制亲疫苗信息的人员。
拜登说:“我们需要一个社区一个社区地去，一个社区一个社区地去，而且经常是挨家挨户地去，实际上是挨家挨户地去敲门，以获得帮助，帮助其余的人免受病毒的侵害。
这一评论很快被保守派权威人士和媒体所接受，他们暗示联邦代理人将很快上门或强制要求接种疫苗。
德克萨斯州共和党众议员丹·克伦肖(Dan Crenshaw)在推特上写道:“不要敲我的门怎么样?“你不是我父母。你就是政府。提供疫苗，让人们自由选择。为什么这个概念对左派来说如此困难?”
俄亥俄州众议员吉姆·乔丹在推特上写道:“拜登政府想敲你的门，看看你是否接种了疫苗。下一步是什么?敲你的门看看你有没有枪?”
拜登政府曾多次表示，联邦政府不会授权疫苗并将由企业和学校来决定。
白宫新闻秘书珍·普萨基(Jen Psaki)本周表示:“是否接种疫苗取决于每个人。
尽管如此，周四，当卫生与公众服务部部长泽维尔·韦塞拉在接受美国有线电视新闻网采访时表示，知道谁没有接种疫苗是“绝对是政府的事”，因为花在这项工作上的钱。他后来补充道:“你不必去开门，但我希望你去。”
韦塞拉后来在推特上说，他的评论被“完全断章取义”
韦塞拉说:“要明确的是:政府没有追踪谁接种疫苗的数据库。“我们鼓励人们通过接种疫苗来保护自己和他人。这是拯救生命和结束这场大流行的最佳方式。”
在密苏里州——拜登承诺的首批接受联邦“增援”团队帮助的州之一——那里的共和党州长在推特上说，挨家挨户的政府“特工”不受欢迎。
“我已经指示我们的卫生部门让联邦政府知道，派遣政府雇员或代理人挨家挨户强制接种疫苗在密苏里州不是一个有效或受欢迎的策略!”
但据一位不愿透露姓名的政府官员称，联邦政府从未计划过敲门。应该州卫生部门的要求，疾病控制和预防中心周一向密苏里州派遣了一名流行病学家，帮助进行基因测序和数据分析，直到8月6日。
另一名疾控中心官员——一名“风险沟通专家”——受命向密苏里州首席免疫局提供为期一个月的远程支持，以帮助解决当地疫苗犹豫不决的问题，并提高疫苗接种数量。
在一份声明中，密苏里州卫生部表示，希望更多的支持正在进行中。
该部门在一份声明中表示:“我们期待着与他们合作，并了解更多关于德尔塔变体如何影响密苏里州，特别是最初影响密苏里州西南部的信息。
该部门补充说:“在未来几周内，将增加更多的团队成员，包括远程和亲自，以协助数据和研究、疫苗摄取策略和推广工作。
Conservatives distort Biden's pledge to 'knock on doors' to get people vaccinated
President Joe Biden's push to enlist volunteers, including local doctors and pastors, to go "literally knocking on doors" to encourage vaccinations in some states sparked an outcry this week among conservatives, who mischaracterized the effort as the deployment of government agents to strong-arm reluctant Americans.
The blowback -- from right-wing media and Republican politicians onTwitter-- prompted a sharp response Thursday from the White House, which says any door-knocking efforts will be locally led by community volunteers.
"I would say, for those individuals, organizations that are feeding misinformation and trying to mischaracterize this type of 'trusted messenger' work, I believe you are doing a disservice to the country and to the doctors, the faith leaders, community leaders and others who are working to get people vaccinated, save lives, and help end this pandemic," Biden's COVID coordinator, Jeff Zients, said.
Earlier this week, after missing his own goal to ensure 70% of U.S. adults received at least shot by the Fourth of July, Biden called for a stepped-up vaccination strategy that would rely on volunteers like faith leaders, local medical professionals and community organizations to canvas neighborhoods.
He also promised to assign White House-coordinated "surge teams" to any states requesting help, including personnel to help track outbreaks, boost testing or tailor pro-vaccine messages to the public.
"We need to go to community-by-community, neighborhood-by-neighborhood and, often times, door-to-door, literally knocking on doors to get help to the remaining people protected from the virus," Biden said.
The comment was swiftly picked up by conservative pundits and outlets suggesting that federal agents would soon be knocking on doors or mandating a vaccine.
"How about don’t knock on my door," tweeted Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Texas Republican. "You’re not my parents. You’re the government. Make the vaccine available, and let people be free to choose. Why is that concept so hard for the left?"
Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan tweeted: "The Biden Administration wants to knock on your door to see if you’re vaccinated. What’s next? Knocking on your door to see if you own a gun?"
The Biden administration has said repeatedly that the federal government won't mandatevaccinesand will leave it up to businesses and schools to decide.
"It's up to every individual to decide whether they're going to get vaccinated," said White House press secretary Jen Psaki this week.
Still, that message was muddied Thursday when Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra told CNN in an interview that "it is absolutely the government's business" to know who isn't vaccinated because of the money spent on the effort. He later added: "You don’t have to answer the door but I hope you do."
Becerra later tweeted that his comments were being taken "wildly out of context."
"To be clear: government has no database tracking who is vaccinated," Becerra said. "We're encouraging people to step up to protect themselves, others by getting vaccinated. It's the best way to save lives and end this pandemic."
In Missouri -- one of the first states to receive help from the federal "surge" teams that Biden promised -- the Republican governor there tweeted that government "agents" going door-to-door aren't welcome.
"I have directed our health department to let the federal government know that sending government employees or agents door-to-door to compel vaccination would NOT be an effective OR a welcome strategy in Missouri!"
But according to an administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity, federal door knockers were never planned. At the request of the state's health department, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention deployed an epidemiologist to Missouri on Monday to help with genetic sequencing and data analysis through Aug. 6.
Another CDC official – a "risk communication specialist" – was tasked to provide remote support for one month to the Missouri Chief Bureau of Immunizations to help address local vaccine hesitancy and drive up vaccination numbers.
In a statement, the Missouri health department said it hoped more support was on its way.
"We are looking forward to collaborating with them and learning more about how the Delta variant is impacting Missouri, specifically southwest Missouri initially," the department said in a statement.
"More team members will be added in the coming weeks, both remotely and in person, to assist with data and research, vaccine uptake strategies and outreach," the department added.
