Following White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki's positive COVID-19 test over the weekend, several Republicans have seized on her diagnosis as proof of Democratic President Joe Biden's failures on tackling the pandemic and the inefficacy of the vaccines.
Among them was Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis' Press Secretary Christina Pushaw—who in August had her Twitter account suspended for "abusive behavior."
In a snide tweet about Psaki's diagnosis, Pushaw accused Psaki of lacking "logic" for still supporting vaccine mandates despite the fact that she contracted a breakthrough infection--a charge that shows Pushaw's own fundamental misunderstanding of the rudiments of vaccines.
So the internet immediately set her straight with a basic science lesson.
Jen Psaki, despite being fully vaccinated, just tested positive. She supports vaccine mandates to stop the spread of the virus. Where is the logic? 🤷🏼♀️
PS: Get well soon, @PressSec !
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 (@ChristinaPushaw) October 31, 2021
"Jen Psaki, despite being fully vaccinated, just tested positive. She supports vaccine mandates to stop the spread of the virus. Where is the logic? 🤷🏼♀️"
"PS: Get well soon, @PressSec!"
Psaki announced her diagnosis in a statement released Monday.
Sharing full statement and grateful I am vaccinated and for the amazing Biden team pic.twitter.com/QDokXo47dK
— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) October 31, 2021
In it, Psaki revealed that she had been quarantining since early last week following a positive diagnosis of someone in her household, and credited the vaccine with enabling her to continue her work despite her own diagnosis.
"Thanks to the vaccine, I have only experienced mild symptoms which has enabled me to continue working from home."
That is, indeed, part of the purpose of vaccines--to enable the immune system to fight the pathogen. Most of the time, that means the vaccinated person never becomes sick at all. But much like the yearly flu vaccine, breakthrough infections can happen, and when they do, their severity is usually drastically mitigated.
This is basic vaccine science, and a point the medical and scientific communities have been hammering home since the beginning of the vaccine rollout.
But since Pushaw apparently missed all that, Twitter decided to fill her in on where "the logic" is.
Vaccines lessen the chance of you getting the disease and its lethality if you do catch it. There's the logic. Right there. Any more questions?
— Stee Tate (@snatetate) October 31, 2021
Do you wear a seatbelt when you ride in a car, Christina?
— Kevin, a dim bass (@Chug_A_Lugg) November 1, 2021
Being vaccinated helps keep you from becoming seriously ill. That's logic and a thing called SCIENCE.
— D Villella ❄️ (@dvillella) November 1, 2021
The vaccine doesn't prevent positive results, just severe outcomes. Try some reading comprehension someday.
— Eric Bailey (@EricVBailey) October 31, 2021
If you're vaccinated and get infected you can rebound back quickly rather than getting hospitalized.
My father died because vaccines weren't available back in 2020.
A vaccinated family member had a breakthrough case and recovered in 2 weeks.
— Meta Bol (@Limubai_bol) November 1, 2021
Lower viral load and less likely to have severe symptoms - that's why everyone should get vaccinated. Christina P do your homework!!
— Ali R (@techmumsie) November 1, 2021
The logic is - she's having mild symptoms NOT on a vent or the hospital
The logic is being vaccinated and masking she spreads virus for a shorter period of time. And less of it because she masks. She will gets tests and will quarantine. This ALL reduces spread.
See the logic?
— Renee Libby 🇺🇸 (@ReneeAlida) October 31, 2021
i guess you skipped over the part of her statement where she mentioned that she's experiencing only mild symptoms, thanks to the vaccine.
— Matt Beard 🦃 (@mwb524) October 31, 2021
Are you incapable of understanding that if you're vaccinated and get covid, your symptoms are much less dangerous than if you're not vaccinated? WHERE IS YOUR LOGIC? 🤷🏼♀️
— cumberickman FORMER PRESIDENT FRAUD (@cumberickman) November 1, 2021
You have issues.
— Heather Beaven (@ElectBeaven) October 31, 2021
This of course isn't the first time Pushaw has waded into the vaccine debate with an absurd take: In September, she claimed that the reason Republicans won't get vaccinated is simply because they "believe that masks work" despite the fact that her boss was in the middle of trying to make mask mandates illegal in the state of Florida.
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
@BadFoxGraphics/X
@HadleySheley/X
@ZPManInTheWall/X
@HaoMao2017/X
@LunaKatVT/X
@carolyn_from/X
@Timdupj/X