[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 129 (Thursday, July 22, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5041-S5042]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CORONAVIRUS
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, since the start of the pandemic, the State
of Vermont, at every level of its leadership, has taken heroic efforts
to mitigate spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus. With strong leadership
from Gov. Phil Scott, and bolstered by a firm belief in scientific
facts, the State nearly halted altogether the spread of COVID-19,
minimized the number of Vermonters lost to the disease, and now leads
the Nation in the percentage of residents who have received at least
one vaccine shot. As we look to hopefully soon be on the other side of
this pandemic, I strongly believe that there are invaluable lessons to
be learned from Vermont's response, so that we are better prepared for
the days, months, and years ahead.
Aisha K. Jha's ``Vermont's and South Dakota's COVID Infection Rates
are Remarkably Similar--But their Outcomes are Not'' article published
in the Washington Post on July 13, 2021, reviews the important steps
Vermont took to not only protect the health of its residents but also
ensure that minimal economic damage was done given
[[Page S5042]]
the circumstances. A strong public health approach, led by Vermont
Health Commissioner Mark Levine, always communicated scientific
evidence clearly and thoughtfully. This fostered a sense of trust and
community that has now resulted in Vermont nearing herd immunity and
able to fully reopen local businesses for everyone to enjoy.
I am so proud of every Vermonter who stepped up to do their part to
not only protect themselves, but their families, friends, and
neighbors. This is truly the Vermont way. I know that if all States
followed Vermont's example, and continued to vaccinate all residents,
we would be able to put this dark chapter of American history in our
rearview mirror.
I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the article
mentioned above, about the important work in Vermont to protect our
State from the COVID-19 pandemic.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
[From the Washington Post, July 13, 2021]
Vermont's and South Dakota's COVID Infection Rates Are Remarkably
Similar--But Their Outcomes Are Not
(By Ashish K. Jha)
Two states. Two different paths in responding to COVID-19.
Together, they offer invaluable lessons about the road ahead
for the nation--especially as infection rates creep up
because of the delta variant.
The two states are Vermont and South Dakota. Both feature
among the three states that COVID Act Now classifies as
falling in the lowest-risk category, along with
Massachusetts. This may be a surprise. While New England
states are known to have done extraordinarily well in
vaccinating their populations, South Dakota is in the middle
of the pack. So, what explains the fact that South Dakota has
infection numbers almost as low as Vermont, the most
vaccinated state in the nation?
Let's start with some basics. Vermont and South Dakota
share several important similarities. Both have relatively
White, older and rural populations. They have comparable
median incomes. Both states have Republican governors,
challenging the simplistic notion that COVID risk is a
partisan phenomenon.
Over the past two months, the rates of infection in Vermont
and South Dakota have appeared remarkably similar. Both
states have seen steep declines in cases, making both states
near the best in terms of infections per population.
But this is where the similarity ends. While nearly 75
percent of Vermonters have had at least one vaccine shot,
putting the state near the threshold for herd immunity, only
half of South Dakotans have had at least one shot. South
Dakota's substantial population immunity instead comes in
large part from prior infections, particularly during the
fall. This massive surge in infections was driven by the
Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August that brought nearly half a
million people to South Dakota, sparking outbreaks across
that state and, indeed, the nation. With little to no
interest on the part of its governor to squelch the outbreak,
South Dakota reached the highest levels of infection seen by
any state during the pandemic. At its peak, the state was
reporting more than 160 new cases per 100,000 residents.
Vermont, in comparison, never climbed above 30 cases per
100,000.
Unsurprisingly, these states experienced stunningly
different outcomes. Adjusted for population, nearly six times
as many people died in South Dakota from covid-19 as in
Vermont (230 per 100,000 in South Dakota compared to just 40
per 100,000 in Vermont). In real numbers, while about 250
Vermont residents died from the disease. more than 2,000
South Dakotans died. And as of today, Vermont has a lower
unemployment rate, suggesting that there need not be any
trade-off between public health and the economy.
By some estimates, nearly half of the people of South
Dakota may have been infected. These infections led to huge
amounts of suffering beyond the deaths themselves. We are
seeing an increasing body of evidence that many who survive
serious illness from the virus have long-term complications
and symptoms. When infections spike, a run on hospital beds
means other people die because they can't access hospital
care, which almost surely occurred in South Dakota at the
height of the surge. Vermont took a different approach,
keeping public health measures in place to keep infections
low and then, building up population immunity through
excellent vaccination campaigns.
The virus isn't going away. In fact, it is likely to become
endemic, meaning it will continue to circulate, occasionally
causing outbreaks in low-vaccination communities. Most people
will encounter the virus at one point or another. And if they
don't have immunity from vaccines, many will get sick. The
harms from infection are large, especially in comparison to
the generally mild side-effects of the vaccines. And there is
some evidence that the vaccine-induced immunity is more
effective than natural infection-induced immunity. As the
highly contagious delta variant spreads, states that have
experienced high levels of infection such as South Dakota may
be more vulnerable than highly vaccinated states such as
Vermont.
In the spring of 2020, governors had to make decisions with
little federal guidance and little historical precedent. But
by that summer, it was much clearer how to curtail the
disease, protect public health and manage the economy
carefully. By following the science, Vermont saved an
enormous number of lives and has now reached a degree of
population immunity through vaccination that makes large
outbreaks unlikely. Embracing a policy of ``personal
responsibility,'' South Dakota did little to protect its
residents, leading to the deaths of more than 2,000 South
Dakotans and the suffering of tens of thousands more. To
avoid more unnecessary outbreaks, we need to learn from
states that have successfully weathered the pandemic, follow
the science and keep vaccinating Americans.
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