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When I had the opportunity to get vaccinated against COVID-19 last spring, I didn’t hesitate. The vaccine was clearly the best way for me to protect myself and the people I care about against death or hospitalization due to COVID. I was also eager to do my part to help our society fight this insidious disease.
Knowing that I was vaccinated was a huge relief. Even if I caught COVID, there was a good chance my symptoms would be mild and I would come out on the other side in good shape. This is important given my current role as president of the University of Wisconsin system, a job that required in-person meetings, travel, and occasional group meetings.
At that time, I thought everyone would be like me, ready to jump at the chance to get the vaccine. Unfortunately, this did not turn out to be the case. Barely 50 percent of Wisconsin residents have completed their vaccination series – despite the widespread availability of the vaccine.
As the president of the University of Wisconsin system, I think increasing the delta variant is the biggest challenge we face in the next fall semester. Vaccines are our best bet for providing a college experience that students deserve and parents expect. To make things easier for our campus communities as well as the general public, vaccination centers have been established at our universities across the state to expand access.
As a former Secretary of Health and Human Services, I saw first-hand how vaccines are developed and tested. Operation Warp Speed made it possible to produce a vaccine in a short period of time, a formidable medical and technological achievement. But it wasn’t rushed, as some have argued, and the science behind it had been in the works for years. The clinical trials were rigorous and thorough.
As Wisconsin’s longest-serving governor, I know every inch of this state, and I never want us to be in a position where we are forced to close our restaurants and bars, cancel sporting events and concerts again. , and to see our hospitals overwhelmed with critically ill and dying patients. The only way to get back to normalcy before the pandemic is to make sure enough of us are vaccinated against the virus.
Finally, as the grandparent of nine children, I believe that we owe it to future generations to rule out this disease. Over the years, vaccines have been extraordinarily effective in protecting generations against diseases like smallpox, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, and pertussis. Without vaccines, these diseases would kill millions of people. Allowing this COVID-19 virus to mutate in unvaccinated populations will allow it to perpetuate itself, unless we take action now to prevent it.
None of these arguments are new. But maybe some of you who remain uncertain just need a little nudge, a little reminder of what we’re facing right now – a record number of children hospitalized with COVID, 84% of US counties registering high rates of community transmission, nearly 620,000 deaths nationwide. It doesn’t have to be that way. There is no better way to crush COVID than to vaccinate as many people as possible. Go ahead !
The University of Wisconsin system serves approximately 165,000 students. Awarding nearly 37,000 degrees annually, the UW system is Wisconsin’s talent pool, empowering graduates to increase their income, contribute to their communities, and make Wisconsin a better place to live. Almost 90% of the state’s UW system graduates stay in Wisconsin five years after graduating. The UW system offers a return on investment of 23: 1. The institutions of the UW system also contribute to the rich culture and economy of Wisconsin with ground-breaking research, new ventures and patents, and unlimited creative intellectual energy.
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