Vaccine advice from the voices of life experience: Love Thy Neighbor

Unfortunately, I doubt any of the stupid anti-vaxxers will ever read this echo opinion letter published in Alabama's Opelika-Auburn News. Nevertheless, life experience can be as powerful a persuader as is the medical science about proving vaccine effectiveness and safety.  Will anti-vaxxers will listen?

An Auburn University nursing student gives a COVID-19 vaccine to a woman at EAMC’s virus vaccination site. Photo: Sara Palczewski/

A 98-year-old reader sounds off about the vaccine - and how to live a long life.  (Read and follow the voice of life experience!)

Three words of experience:

I write today to express the pleasure which reading Bruce Gladden's* letter gave me (see below). He wrote from a perspective that I wish every citizen shared, that we should be guided by science in matters of health, and our university system and leaders within it should speak in support of improving our well-being and that of the students under their care and tutelage.

Every year since World War II, the lifespan of Americans increased until this epidemic struck. No matter where you live or what concerns you have, getting a vaccine is the right thing to do.

Are you concerned about the national debt? Get the vaccine! Vaccines are free for citizens and cost the government about $20 each, vs. $1,250 if you get sick and require (and can get!) transfusion treatment.

Are you worried about rising medical costs? Get the vaccine! A stay in the ICU costs $3,000 to $12,000 per day.

Would you like your health insurance cost to decrease? Get the vaccine!

Would you like to go to football games, movies, restaurants, and church, and be able to sing or yell without being worried? 

Yep! Get a vaccine.

Let's show the world that American citizens are educated and will not be misled by social media or politicians and those dependent on them. We're smarter and more experienced than that, and you don't enjoy a long life, children, grandchildren, and more, without paying attention to the right people.

From Nell Wetzel

98 years old from Auburn, Alabama

* The following message was sent to leaders of the Auburn University administration, University Senate, Coach Bryan Harsin and Athletics Director Allen Greene, from Bruce Gladden, Ph.D., professor in the School of Kinesiology at Auburn University, where he has been since 1989:

                    Thank you Bruce Gladden, Ph.D., Auburn University

"I feel like I am living in Bizarro World. This morning I received an email invitation to a Football Preseason Kickoff for Saturday, Aug. 28. This is during a time when:

• East Alabama Medical Center ICU is nearing full capacity.
• Rate of COVID-19 cases is soaring in Alabama.
• Evidence that the Delta variant can be passed outdoors when people are close to each other, especially without masks and for extended periods of time.
• Vaccination rate in Alabama is near the bottom of the entire U.S.
• Alabama has passed a law against vaccine mandates and against even asking students or employees if they have been vaccinated
•  Vaccination rate of Auburn University faculty and staff is somewhere between 33% and 60% according to different sources (I’m not aware of any official number)
•  Vaccine rate among AU students is unknown but likely lower than faculty and staff
• AU football coach will apparently not even say whether he has received the vaccine.
• No substantial public outreach from AU Athletics encouraging vaccination, nor information about vaccination rates among AU athletes. 

At least the University of Alabama Athletics Department has been very public about vaccine encouragement – witness public service announcements from Coach Saban, and the University of Mississippi touts its 100% vaccination rate in its Athletics Department. We know that Coach Saban is a great football coach, but it now appears that he also understands science better than our folks at AU. Athletics is given such huge emphasis at AU, and now is a time when it could actually be helping to save lives, but instead it’s throwing a party.

I’ve always thought that a university is a place where science is front-most and center. I’m questioning that view about Auburn right now. Despite these comments which I intend to be direct and to the point, I do appreciate your efforts on behalf of Auburn University. Hoping for the good health and success of all of us.”

Since then, I have received exactly one response. That response came from the Auburn University's Executive Director of Public Affairs, and it essentially restated Auburn University’s policies on COVID-19, including the following statement: “The top priority of the university in all decisions is the health, safety and well-being of the campus community.” In the meantime since my message, all ICU beds in Alabama became occupied, and Coach Harsin tested positive for COVID. Back in July, Coach Harsin stated that taking the vaccine was “an intensely personal decision.” I beg to differ. When declining vaccination means that you are more likely to pass the infection to others, more likely to permit the development of a more dangerous variant and more likely to cause serious illness, hospitalization (including placing strain on health care facilities and workers) and death of others, it hardly seems an intensely personal decision. Instead, it seems that it’s a Golden Rule decision; “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I also find it ironic that some evangelical Christians are among those refusing the vaccine, given that Jesus said, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”

Auburn University continues to advertise the Auburn Family Football Preseason Kickoff, and local high schools continue to fill stadiums for games. 

It appears that their answer to the greatest pandemic in our lifetime is, “Party on!” I guess that’s a personal decision also. As Dr. Fred Kam did in a recent Plainsman letter, I call on everyone to take responsibility for keeping Auburn (the University, the City and the surrounding communities) healthy during this challenging time.