As COVID-19 still lingers and the delta variant cases have risen, Northwestern combats these issues with vaccinations across campus. The total vaccination rate percentage is 40.35%, and this is based on employees, resident and commuter students. There may be many more students or employees who have been vaccinated, but they have yet to be reported.
“Vaccines are the key to protecting the students’ experience this year,” said Julie Elliott, Dean of Student Life. “We do not want to go back to all of the mitigations we had in place last year – masking, social distancing, quarantining and daily check-ins.”
Dordt University, NW’s rival in Sioux Center, has a total vaccination rate of 46% of on-campus students according to an article in The Dordt Diamond. Dordt’s rate is indeed more than NW’s by over five percent and just shy of the Iowa rate by 19%, which is just over 65% fully vaccinated. The state of Iowa rate is based on individuals over the age of 18 years old. Although the U.S. rate is 55.6% vaccinated, Iowa’s rate is above this. Vaccinations are said to lower the likelihood of having to be hospitalized if one were to contract the virus.
“Someone who is vaccinated is far less likely to get the virus and to pass it on to others” Elliott said. “What we’re seeing across the country is that nearly every person being treated in ICUs for COVID is unvaccinated. The same is true for those who are dying. So, vaccines are a way to protect our students, faculty and staff from the most serious effects of the virus.”
Marty Guthmiller, the CEO of the Orange City Area Health System, provides insight on the vaccination rates and what they are saying about Sioux County.
“The numbers of Dordt and NW are reflective of the way the vaccine has been affecting people,” Guthmiller said.
As of September 28, 6,483 is the number of deaths from COVID-19 recorded in Iowa. Less than one percent of those deaths were under the age of 29 years of age, so COVID-19 can be ruled as a virus that heavily affects the immunol compromised and individuals with pre-existing conditions. With this information, 92% of deaths are above the age of 60 years. However, COVID-19 continues to affect people of all ages.
“Typically speaking, college students are going to be healthy, young people.” Guthmiller said. “Because of those statistics, college students may not feel the urgent need to be vaccinated.”
Regarding Dordt’s rate compared to NW’s, the margin is too small to matter.
“I wouldn’t make too much of the deal between 40 and 46 percent, it’s statistically immaterial,” Guthmiller said.
However, with college students not feeling the need to be vaccinated, the Orange City Area Health System and NW faculty argue the opposite: they highly recommend getting the vaccine.
“Just because college students may not get extremely sick from it, they can definitely still spread it to their parents, grandparents, other students, and more.” Guthmiller said.
Students can still get vaccinated anywhere between now and October 31 to receive a cash incentive.
If a student tests positive for COVID-19, a resident director needs to be notified, along with anyone in close contact with the student. Isolate at home for ten days from symptom onset. Ask a friend or an RD for meal drop-off. Isolation may end once ten days have passed since symptoms, there is no fever, symptoms have improved and the student feels well.
