Prairie State Wire

The University of Illinois System (U of I System) has mandated vaccines again as questions on the efficacy of the vaccines continue to arise.

The mandate was announced via email noting that the U of I System "will, as we have throughout the pandemic, adapt as necessary should conditions change." 

“Dear students, faculty and staff: As we prepare to return to our universities this fall, University of Illinois System leaders continue to think first and foremost about the safety of all of you and the surrounding communities amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic," an email blast signed by Timothy L. Killeen, president of the University of Illinois system, reads. "Throughout the pandemic, measures we have taken to mitigate against the virus that causes COVID-19 have made our three universities among the safest places to be. These measures – particularly vaccination – remain our best protection. In keeping with this approach, students, faculty and staff will be required to be vaccinated against the virus, and we strongly recommend that you get booster shots, as well. Those who are not vaccinated will need to test on their campuses once a week. Decisions about masking and any other additional requirements will be made by each university based on local conditions and requirements in their communities. Look for further guidance from your university. Through your efforts, the U of I System has set the highest possible standard for safety during the pandemic and served as a model for the nation. We have done this while continuing to offer world-class educational opportunities to more and more students and pursuing the kind of research and innovation that changes lives for the better.”

When the COVID-19 vaccine was first introduced, scientists hoped that this would completely stop the spread of the disease. However, during the summer of 2021, evidence showed that people with the vaccine were contracting the virus more than people without it. As the summer progressed, breakthrough infections went from being an anomaly to a commonplace, according to ABC News.

Experts now say that vaccines reduce the severity of infection but not its transmissibility. In June 2022, data collected in the U.K. found that being vaccinated did not protect against mild or asymptomatic infection. New data has also shown that the protection of vaccines wanes over time; CDC analysis found “three shots was roughly 90% effective against emergency room or hospital visits in the months after the third shot, but that declined to 66-78% by four to five months out.” 

“I believe it is not reasonable to expect the current vaccines to prevent infection,” Dr. Shira Doron, an infectious disease physician and hospital epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center, said, according to ABC News. 

Doron believes that “eventually” the country will have enough immunity to treat COVID-19 like other respiratory illnesses. 

“I think we will have enough immunity as a population to treat COVID-19 like we do other respiratory viruses, where we stay home until we feel better and don’t structure our lives around the virus,” Doron said.

A Pew Research Center survey in August 2021 found that 73% of U.S. adults said they received at least one dose of the vaccine, and the majority of this group had received two doses. It also found that 86% of those who lean Democrat had at least one dose while that number was 60% for those who lean Republican. Older Americans are more likely to be vaccinated with 86% of those over 65 having at least one dose. This is compared to 73% of those ages 50 to 64, 69% of those 30 to 49, and 66% of those 18 to 29. The survey also found that the more education a person has, the more likely he is to be vaccinated. Around 89% of those with a postgraduate degree or more said they had received at least one dose by August, compared with 81% with a bachelor’s degree, 69% with some college education, and 66% with a high school diploma or less. In August 2021, the survey showed that the public was evenly split over vaccine mandates in restaurants while majorities favored vaccine mandates for airplanes (69%), public universities (57%) and concerts or sporting events (56%). For shopping in stores, 54% of respondents oppose a vaccine mandate while 45% support it.

According to an Axios-Ipsos poll from Aug. 27-30 of 2021, 43% of Americans said a workplace vaccine mandate would compel them to take the jab, up from 33% the previous month. It also found that 68% of parents said that they were likely to vaccinate their children as soon as it was approved. It also found that 72% of adults took it, 8% plan on taking it and the other 20% say it is unlikely for them to take the vaccine. Furthermore, 19% said employers are requiring vaccination, and 40% said local government-mandated masks in public places.