Not that I disagree, but an interesting fact about TX is how irrelevant the governor is except (which is still notable) as a mouthpiece. Little reports to the governor. Rather, it is the lieutenant governor who has the most power (who is currently a complete tool.) Even then, most counties opt to set their own mandates. For example, school districts are independently requiring masks. The distaste for governance that pervades the state’s tenor continues into the legislature which, by law, meets max 60 days every other year. This is all predicated on the long time distaste for government which can lead to some spectacular fails (ERCOT having no power during the polar vortex, a fertilizer plant exploding a decade ago) but also some successes (commercial responses to problems that happen faster than those prescribed by the government, such as 3x as many windmills as the next state.)
Vaccination issues are not unusual unfortunately. The marvelously helpful HPV vaccine which (when given to either gender) effectively prevents cervical cancer was rejected by many because “it risks loosening morals.” Ugh. So, long and short, the article’s point about the government itself is slightly off but the reluctance of Texans to vaccinate is spot on. And so the numbers climb, this time within the “not at risk at all” single digit bracket.
I hope you and your family and friends are faring well.
Quintin Jardine's blog 
Not that I disagree, but an interesting fact about TX is how irrelevant the governor is except (which is still notable) as a mouthpiece. Little reports to the governor. Rather, it is the lieutenant governor who has the most power (who is currently a complete tool.) Even then, most counties opt to set their own mandates. For example, school districts are independently requiring masks. The distaste for governance that pervades the state’s tenor continues into the legislature which, by law, meets max 60 days every other year. This is all predicated on the long time distaste for government which can lead to some spectacular fails (ERCOT having no power during the polar vortex, a fertilizer plant exploding a decade ago) but also some successes (commercial responses to problems that happen faster than those prescribed by the government, such as 3x as many windmills as the next state.)
Vaccination issues are not unusual unfortunately. The marvelously helpful HPV vaccine which (when given to either gender) effectively prevents cervical cancer was rejected by many because “it risks loosening morals.” Ugh. So, long and short, the article’s point about the government itself is slightly off but the reluctance of Texans to vaccinate is spot on. And so the numbers climb, this time within the “not at risk at all” single digit bracket.
I hope you and your family and friends are faring well.