The Gainesville Sun
Get vaccinated
I was more than surprised to read in Friday’s Sun that many front-line health care workers have declined vaccinations and that only 47% of the workforce at UF Health Shands Hospital has been vaccinated against the coronavirus. What are they thinking?
If they have not contracted COVID-19 during the past year, while being exposed to patients, they are very fortunate. That does not mean, however, that they will not contract the virus or unknowingly spread it to others in the future.
Most of the people I know have been poised in front of their computers or cradling their cellphones during the past few months, as they try to book appointments to be vaccinated. I strongly advocate the advice of physicians and scientists who say, “When your turn comes, take it!”
Most St. Johns County residents who are 65 and older have been vaccinated, but that doesn t mean they should strip off their masks and stop taking precautions, health-care leaders said.
While the vaccine is bringing relief to thousands of people locally, safety measures are still necessary to protect oneself and others after getting vaccinated.
Dr. Nicole Iovine, chief epidemiology officer for the UF Health Shands Hospital system, said people should continue taking normal precautions following their vaccinations for a couple of reasons. We know that the vaccines currently available are highly effective. However, they re not 100%. I mean, nothing is really 100%, right? So there s still 5 or 6% of people who may still develop illness with COVID despite being vaccinated, she said. And for people that might have compromised immune systems, we don t know, but that number might be higher.
Senate ratifies election results, elects new Senate president
Former Judiciary Chair Franco Luis will serve in the position Photo by Kate McNamara | The Independent Florida Alligator
Minority Party members are losing representation in Student Government after the Gator Party won the executive ticket, which includes the Student Body president, vice president and treasurer positions. Gator also gained a supermajority in Senate, holding about 80 of the 100 seats.
According to the Senate roster, minority parties Change and Inspire, Independent candidates and members not specifying party affiliation now collectively hold about 16 total seats. The remaining five are still empty. It is unclear exactly how many seats Gator and other parties hold because the Senate roster does no
Though there are groups of people eagerly awaiting their turn to receive an invitation to the biggest event of the year the COVID-19 vaccination clinic local data show that many eligible Alachua County residents have turned it down.
One of the first groups targeted, front-line health care workers, are among those who have tended to decline vaccinations.
About 5,000 out of 11,000 people in UF Health Shands Hospital’s workforce have been vaccinated, said CEO Ed Jimenez. He said he was surprised by the 47% vaccination rate, thinking it would be higher.
“People have chosen not to be vaccinated,” he said. He offered two main explanations why the employees have chosen that route.
Gainesville Police Sgt. Jeffrey Kerkau was named Thursday night as the officer who was injured early Wednesday morning when his patrol car slid off Newberry Road and hit a tree.
Kerkau was driving home at the end of his shift, GPD reported in a news release. GPD would not release Kerkau’s name Wednesday.
Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Patrick Riordan told The Sun on Wednesday that the crash happened about 3:30 a.m. on State Road 26 Newberry Road and 175th Street.
“The driver lost control. The road was wet and in losing control it veered off the roadway onto the north side where it struck a curb, metal guardrail and a tree,” Riordan said. “He was taken to (UF Health) Shands Hospital.”