âUnvaccinated folks ... are letting us downâ: Republicans ramp up vaccine push Shift comes as more contagious Delta variant prompts US COVID-19 cases to nearly triple   House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., joined by House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., left, and members of the GOP Doctors Caucus, speaks during a news conference about the Delta variant of COVID-19 and the origin of the virus, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, July 22, 2021. [ J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE | AP ] Updated 3 hours ago WASHINGTON â Republican politicians are under increasing pressure to speak out to persuade COVID-19 vaccine skeptics to roll up their sleeves and take the shots as a new, more contagious variant sends caseloads soaring. But after months of ignoring â and, in some cases, stoking â misinformation about the virus, new polling suggests it may be too late to change the minds of many who are refusing.