University of Utah Health Promotes Vaccination, Honors ‘Shared Resilience’ During Pandemic

Staying up to date on vaccines and boosters is imperative to protecting individuals as well as communities against COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccines have been “overwhelmingly successful” in preventing severe disease, hospitalizations and death, writes Jeanmarie Mayer, M.D., chief medical epidemiologist for University of Utah Health, in a September 2022 blog.

Mayer cites a recent study on the global impact of the first year of COVID-19 vaccination: COVID-19 vaccines prevented an estimated 14.4 million deaths worldwide in 2021.

Her blog focuses on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing what people can do to address infectious diseases and pandemics.

“Personal decisions to mask, perform hand hygiene and get vaccinated can greatly reduce an individual’s risk of infection as well as limit spread of illness in the community, whether it’s COVID-19 or the common cold,” Mayer observes.

For people who are hesitant about getting the COVID-19 vaccine, Mayer explains: “We need to be aware that the U.S. has multiple robust vaccine monitoring systems to detect and track potential harm. The data tells us that vaccines work, and they are incredibly safe.”

Communications about COVID-19 and vaccination have included weekly video updates from CEO Michael Good, M.D.—available in English and Spanish—a comprehensive online COVID-19 vaccine hub and content shared across the health system’s social media channels.

In addition to continued efforts to encourage COVID-19 vaccination, the University of Utah Health is the epicenter of a creative art project “to collectively acknowledge and mourn the losses” experienced due to COVID-19 and “create a means to honor our shared resilience.” This collaborative art project — Project Art Heals Utah — uses empty vaccine vials and mementos donated by people who suffered loss due to COVID-19. Learn more and explore the art.