Vaccination is simple step we can take to fight pandemic

There continues to be much deliberation around the topic of masks as we navigate choppy waters of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recently, the Cape Girardeau and Jackson Public School districts announced they would not mandate masks for the upcoming school year -- at least not yet.

In Cape Girardeau, superintendent Neil Glass said if attendance drops below 90% -- the low mark in the previous five years -- masks would be reinstituted. In Jackson, a specific attendance figure wasn't given as a trigger for masking, but new superintendent Scott Smith said masks will be encouraged even if not required at this time.

Southeast Missouri State University, meanwhile, has reinstituted its mask requirement for those inside university buildings, though masks will not be required outside on campus.

In all these cases, you have thoughtful individuals trying to make the best decisions for their schools and the safety of their faculty, staff and students.

While there continues to be much consternation about whether to mask, there's one step folks can take to help protect themselves from COVID. Local health care workers continue to plead with area residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine, the best method of protection against the virus and its spread.

Matt Janzow, SoutheastHEALTH vice president and chief medical officer, told the Southeast Missourian that the hospital staff has vaccinated more than 34,000 individuals and there have been no reported adverse reactions.

Gretchen Price, critical care hospitalist at Saint Francis Healthcare, said it's possible vaccinated individuals can still get COVID but the symptoms are typically mild as opposed to those who haven't been vaccinated. Meanwhile, the overwhelming majority of patients hospitalized for COVID have not been vaccinated and almost all of the Saint Francis COVID patients in ICU were not vaccinated.

The numbers have also been trending younger, with healthy individuals in their 20s and 30s now finding themselves hospitalized because of COVID.

Statewide, the death toll due to COVID has topped 10,000. While every life lost is tragic, it's especially frustrating to see individuals perish at this point when safe and effective vaccines are available.

"We are saddened to have lost so many Missourians over the last 18 months to COVID-19," Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said in a recent statement. "We have a way out of this global pandemic. This milestone underscores the importance of vaccination and personal responsibility across the state."

We offer our encouragement to those not yet vaccinated to consider doing so. It's a simple step that can save your life and the lives of those around you.