Doomed from the start. That phrase neatly describes the Apollo 13 mission, which launched this day in 1970, and the ongoing Covid-19 vaccination effort in the U.S. Yet both can be seen as successful failures.
When astronauts James Lovell, John Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center, they were anticipating mankinds third trip to the surface of the moon. Two days into the mission, a defective oxygen tank exploded when they were some 200,000 miles away from Earth, imperiling their lives and making it impossible to complete their mission. Around-the-clock efforts by teams on the ground, imbued with NASA ingenuity, helped the astronauts return safely to Earth in what was nothing short of a miracle. Our mission was a failure, Lovell wrote later, but I like to think it was a successful failure.
We see parallels with Covid-19: a mission doomed from the start that has managed to eke out some successes.
advertisement
More than two years into the pandemic, its clear that the country has failed its primary mission of saving lives. The U.S. is now approaching a devastating 1 million deaths from Covid-19, an incomprehensible loss of life. But within this massive failure there has been a public health success: The tireless work, ingenuity, and collective action of scientists, public health practitioners, and clinicians in both the public and private spheres reminiscent of what NASA scientists and engineers did, but on a much larger scale has led to what is arguably the single most successful vaccination program in U.S. history.
Months before Covid-19 emerged in December 2019, the Global Health Security Index indicated that no country was really prepared for a pandemic. Although the U.S. was deemed most prepared, its capabilities could not compensate for the many shortcomings of its health care and public health systems. These are the same shortcomings that have consistently led the countrys health care system to rank last among high-income countries: incomplete access to care, glaring inequities, insufficient public health resources and infrastructure, and mistrust in both government and industry, to name a few. There was no reason to think the pandemic would solve these problems. Indeed, it made many of them worse and also created new ones.
advertisement
But the vaccines their development, manufacture, and widespread uptake have been a massive success. As we write this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 88% of American adults have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and 75% have been fully vaccinated, a higher Covid-19 vaccination rate than other non-mandatory vaccines have reached after being around for decades.
This means that in the span of about 18 months, some 227 million adults voluntarily got vaccinated despite the time it took to arrange an appointment, the discomfort, the likelihood of minor side effects like a sore arm or flu-like symptoms, and the uncertain likelihood of more serious side effects from the most rapidly developed vaccine of all time.
We know it might be hard to view any part of the Covid-19 pandemic response as a success. At times it feels impossible to think weve done anything right when Americans continue to spread SARS-CoV-2 and die from Covid-19 every day. The work is by no means done, and there are substantial gaps in vaccination coverage among adults, particularly when it comes to booster doses and younger populations.
Yet when rates of adult Covid-19 vaccination are compared to rates of vaccination against other vaccine-preventable illnesses, the U.S. has done remarkably well in a short amount of time: More American adults have received a two-dose Covid series since it became available than are current on their once-every-10-years tetanus boosters (about 70.5% of the adult population is up to date). Many more adults have been vaccinated against Covid than get vaccinated against influenza, where were lucky to see even half of the adult population vaccinated in a given year.
Eighty-eight percent is a simple statistic, but simple figures can reveal a lot about broader trends. For points of reference, a higher percentage of U.S. adults have had at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine than, according to Gallup, drink alcohol (60%); use Google (74%) in a typical week; find polygamy unacceptable (78%); or send their kids to public schools (83%). And despite the saying as American as apple pie, only 19% of Americans actually rate apple pie as their favorite, making Covid vaccination more American than apple pie at least by the numbers.
There are few things Americans appear to agree on more than Covid vaccination, though two key issues have clearly been settled: The Wizard of Oz was a classic (89%) and Gigli probably should never have been made (94%).
It was by no means certain that Covid-19 vaccination would become a widely accepted part of American life in less than a year and a half. This should be viewed as an important public health accomplishment a success within the countrys broader failure. Why? Surveys indicate that self-preservation and self-interest seem to be the major drivers as people make decisions to get vaccinated meaning public health messaging has helped many Americans see through widespread disinformation, fearmongering, and conspiracy theories to understand their own risks and take the appropriate action to lower them.
But the sense of duty that serves as a primary motivator for some and a secondary motivator for many more cant be discounted. Concerns about externalities an economic term that refers to the effects an individuals decisions has on others are at the core of this sense of duty and are what make getting vaccinated not just a privately beneficial decision but a patriotic one, even when promoting the public good isnt the primary motivator and even when people dont necessarily view it this way. Indeed, one study has shown that a sense of purpose can be a motivator of vaccination decisions.
If we were to ask the NASA workers whose tireless efforts brought Lovell, Swigert, and Haise back home, we imagine that self-interest wanting to keep their job would have been one motivator. But other motivations that kept them working through sleepless nights would surely have included a sense of duty, purpose, and even patriotism.
Patriotism in America is about coming together under common threads and common values. More than 40 million people watched television to see if the Apollo 13 astronauts would make it back to Earth safely. When they did, a New York Times reporter wrote that the events in all probability united the world in mutual concern more fully than another successful landing on the moon would have.
If there is any indication of Americans mutual concern for our national health and well-being, it could very well be the 88% of us who have received Covid-19 vaccinations.
To be sure, uptake of Covid-19 vaccines in the U.S. has not been as high as in other countries, including countries like Brazil or Vietnam that have far fewer resources than the U.S. And its certainly worth making comparisons between the U.S. and countries that have outperformed it to learn whatever public health lessons this pandemic has to offer. But it is also important to consider what might have happened had the U.S. not achieved the high levels of vaccination it did.
Its also tempting to point to divisiveness within the country as a sign of failure and, in particular, for the vaccinated to view the unvaccinated as paying no price for their decisions and being inconsiderate of their duty to their community and their country. Lies and misinformation have fueled very loud critics of scientifically undisputed infection-control measures, while assumptions about the character of the unvaccinated have led to vitriolic, misplaced accusations about entire groups of people.
While we personally think that our unvaccinated and undervaccinated neighbors could be doing more, extreme views are pervasive and ignore an important reality: We have all made sacrifices or done something other than getting vaccinated that supports our communities during the pandemic, whether its working an essential job with higher risk of infection, managing family life disruptions from social distancing and infection control measures, or helping neighbors that have been hit hard financially by economic disruptions. While most Americans now have some degree of biological immunity against Covid-19, none of us has been immune to the social and economic tolls of the pandemic. And, sadly, many more unvaccinated Americans have paid the ultimate price death from Covid-19 than vaccinated Americans since vaccines became widely available
Public health wont be taking days off for the foreseeable future, nor will doctors and nurses and caregivers. Many of them are running on fumes, though some want to stop. Lets not lose sight of the success buried within this larger failure and take a moment to recognize a truly remarkable achievement: 255 million (and counting!) people children, adults, our neighbors and friends have bettered their country by getting Covid-19 vaccinations.
Christopher M. Worsham is a pulmonologist and critical care physician at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School. Anupam B. Jena is an internal medicine physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, an associate professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School, a faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and host of the Freakonomics, MD podcast.
Read this article:
The 'successful failures' of Apollo 13 and Covid-19 vaccination - STAT
- Why 'Sister Wives' Star Kody Brown Thought Polygamy Was 'Unfair' - PEOPLE - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Mr Seed's Marriage in Trouble Over His Sentiments About Polygamy: "Insensitive" - Tuko.co.ke - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Exclusive: Mr Seed clarifies controversial statement on polygamy after wife's outburst - Nairobi News - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Sister Wives: Kody & Robyn Brown Will Probably Get A Divorce (Their Problems Are Getting Worse) - Screen Rant - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Miriam Lord: Polygamy and throuples in the Dil chamber? Doesn't sound like a durable relationship - The Irish Times - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Kody Brown's 'Confidence Is Coming Back' as He Looks Forward to 'a Lot More Understanding' in Family (Exclusive) - Yahoo Canada Shine On - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Referendum to expand definition of family will not include protections for polygamy or throuples - http://gcn.ie/ - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Sister Wives star Christine Browns new husbands niece and her 2 children tragically murdered in Mex... - The US Sun - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Polygamy: The case of Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib - The Weekly Al Hakam - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- The acceptance of polygamy and the slippery slope - The Christian Post - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Sister Wives Fan Theory Proves Why Robyn & Kody's Marriage Doesn't Work Without His Exes - Screen Rant - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Sister Wives: How Kody Brown & Robyn's Relationship Led To The Family's Downfall - Screen Rant - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- COMMENT | Why is it so hard to stamp out misogyny and sexism? - Malaysiakini - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- What Entails the Call to theological and pastoral discernment on the ... - ACI Africa - November 4th, 2023 [November 4th, 2023]
- Is it time to rethink monogamy? | Nation - Nation - November 4th, 2023 [November 4th, 2023]
- Karen Nyamu should answer why Edday relocated to US not me ... - K24 TV - November 4th, 2023 [November 4th, 2023]
- Cardinal Cupich on the synod, women deacons, giving bishops job ... - America: The Jesuit Review - November 4th, 2023 [November 4th, 2023]
- 'Sister Wives' Season 18 Episode 11 Recap: A Cringey Anniversary ... - The Ashley's Reality Roundup - November 4th, 2023 [November 4th, 2023]
- Letter: Like James Huntsman, I cannot accept the doctrine of polygamy - Salt Lake Tribune - October 31st, 2023 [October 31st, 2023]
- Orem's Pioneer History Comes to Life City of Orem - City of Orem - October 31st, 2023 [October 31st, 2023]
- From draft to final text: 10 ways the synod report changed - The Pillar - October 31st, 2023 [October 31st, 2023]
- Mitt Romney, We Hardly Knew Ye - The Federalist - October 31st, 2023 [October 31st, 2023]
- Living in polygamy: Local author looks back on growing up in ... - Wyoming Tribune - July 21st, 2023 [July 21st, 2023]
- Sister Wives: Robyn Brown's All About Monogamy Now (Was She ... - Screen Rant - July 21st, 2023 [July 21st, 2023]
- First, make all polygamy illegal | India News - Times of India - Times of India - July 21st, 2023 [July 21st, 2023]
- Polygamy going down among Muslims, says GoI supported ... - THE INDIAN AWAAZ - July 21st, 2023 [July 21st, 2023]
- Article XVIII of the BF&M: The Family - The Pathway - July 21st, 2023 [July 21st, 2023]
- Apologetics that (Might) Matter - By Common Consent - July 21st, 2023 [July 21st, 2023]
- It's not just Muslims who have multiple wives in India. But practice ... - ThePrint - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Performance review: The Poison of Polygamy, La Boite Theatre - ArtsHub - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Jake Shields wants polygamy to be legal in the US after several attacks on the transgender community - Sportskeeda - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Rajasthan Man Marries Two Sisters, Here's The Reason Behind It - SheThePeople - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- India News LIVE | Assam forms 4-member panel to examine possibility of law to end polygamy - Republic World - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- A Muslim woman responds to Prof Wasey's article on inheritance ... - Awaz The Voice - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Musa Mselekus son on polygamy and wanting more than four wives - TimesLIVE - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- KNUT Boss Urges Men to Consider 3 Wives in Polygamous ... - Tuko.co.ke - April 30th, 2023 [April 30th, 2023]
- Sister Wives Christine Brown shows off slimmed-down figure in sexy V-neck top after engagement to David W... - The US Sun - April 30th, 2023 [April 30th, 2023]
- Brazilian man spends Rs 80 lakh for bed to share with 6 wives: What is polyamory? - Firstpost - April 30th, 2023 [April 30th, 2023]
- Same-Sex Marriage Case : Sexual Autonomy Argument May Be Used To Defend Incest, Argues Solicitor General; ... - Live Law - Indian Legal News - April 30th, 2023 [April 30th, 2023]
- Population anxiety in Pakistan - The Express Tribune - April 30th, 2023 [April 30th, 2023]
- Indore: City youths give thumbs up to same-sex marriage - Free Press Journal - April 30th, 2023 [April 30th, 2023]
- Sister Wives Kody Brown Has Been Outspoken About His Thoughts on Polygamy and Monogamy: Quotes - inTouch Weekly - March 31st, 2023 [March 31st, 2023]
- Pros And Cons Of Polygamy (29 Things You Should Know About Polygamy) - March 4th, 2023 [March 4th, 2023]
- Rev Father Kelvin Ugwu knocks women wishing to be Ned Nwokos next wife after condemning polygamy - WITHIN NIGERIA GIST - January 27th, 2023 [January 27th, 2023]
- Top judge who upheld Canada's polygamy law announces he will be retiring - Vancouver Sun - January 10th, 2023 [January 10th, 2023]
- Polygamy: Yul Edochie publicly apologises to first wife - December 26th, 2022 [December 26th, 2022]
- Utah polygamist sect accused of indoctrination, rape and child marriage ... - December 26th, 2022 [December 26th, 2022]
- Difference Between Monogamy and Polygamy - December 21st, 2022 [December 21st, 2022]
- Take out the polygamy and the Browns of Sister Wives are just another messed up family - Toronto Star - December 16th, 2022 [December 16th, 2022]
- Tony Perkins slams New York courts pro-polygamy ruling | Politics News - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Polygamist leader had at least 20 wives, mostly minors, documents say - NPR - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Polyandry in Tibet - Wikipedia - November 1st, 2022 [November 1st, 2022]
- Why is polygamy in the Vaticans synod document? - The Pillar - November 1st, 2022 [November 1st, 2022]
- "Chubby and Slim, Nice": Loving Man Wows His 2 Wives, Gifts Them New Cars on the Same Day in Cute Video - Legit.ng - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Heartbroken Womans Husband Goes on Weekend Business Trip, Comes Back Wanting a Polygamist Marriage - Briefly - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Sister Wives Season 17 Is a Triumph of Documentary Filmmaking - Gawker - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Triple talaq to hijabHow Hindutva reversed gains made by Muslim womens movements - ThePrint - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- "Sign the divorce paper" Netizens fire Yul Edochie as he begins another project with Judy Austin - Kemi Filani News - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Escape from Polygamy (TV Movie 2013) - IMDb - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- What The Bible Really Says About Polygamy | The Daily Wire - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Judge allows public school with ties to polygamy to keep its board, for now - FOX 13 News Utah - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- 'The Colony' revisits the 2019 cartel murder of 9 women, children in Mexico - KNPR - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Like some other religions, LDS Church seems obsessed with sex. - Salt Lake Tribune - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Sharia Court Holds That Divorce Is The Only Circumstance In Which A Muslim Man, Who Contracted A Marriage Under The Marriage Act Can Practice Polygamy... - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- What Is Polygamy? A Polygamist Debunks the Allure of Marrying More Than One Partner - Esquire - July 25th, 2022 [July 25th, 2022]
- Siege warfare, polygamy and sacrilege: meet history's most outrageous king, Demetrius the Besieger - The Conversation - July 25th, 2022 [July 25th, 2022]
- Ivorian Parliament to Review Polygamy in a Blow for Womens Equality - IDN InDepthNews | Analysis That Matters - July 25th, 2022 [July 25th, 2022]
- Minimum age for women to marry increased to 18 in Kedah, one year jail for polygamy without permission - The Star Online - July 25th, 2022 [July 25th, 2022]
- 'Mseleku is the face of heartbreak': Tweeps react to 'Mnakwethu' episode - TimesLIVE - July 25th, 2022 [July 25th, 2022]
- Utah's Pioneer Day celebrates Mormons' trek west but there's a lot more to the history of Latter-day Saints and migration - The Edwardsville... - July 25th, 2022 [July 25th, 2022]
- How I survived depression after my husband took a second wife May Edochie - Daily Post Nigeria - July 25th, 2022 [July 25th, 2022]
- New book, 'The Colony,' takes readers into a realm they never could have imagined - Mesquite Local News - July 13th, 2022 [July 13th, 2022]
- Challenging the conventional way of loving - Hindustan Times - July 13th, 2022 [July 13th, 2022]
- 'What We Do in the Shadows' Season 4's most uncanny twist is a total delight - Inverse - July 13th, 2022 [July 13th, 2022]
- Legality of polygamy - Wikipedia - July 11th, 2022 [July 11th, 2022]
- Legality of polygamy in the United States - Wikipedia - July 11th, 2022 [July 11th, 2022]
- Letter to the Editor: Rep. Lauren Boebert's comments about church and state are wrong - Summit Daily - July 11th, 2022 [July 11th, 2022]
- Elon Musk jokes after twin reveal: I'm 'doing my best to help the underpopulation crisis' - Marca English - July 11th, 2022 [July 11th, 2022]
- The Resurging Spectacle of the LDS Church in Film and TV - Study Breaks - July 11th, 2022 [July 11th, 2022]
- Drake Makes Tristan Thompson Best Man in Polygamy-Themed 'Falling Back' Vid - June 29th, 2022 [June 29th, 2022]