UTA In The News — Friday, July 9, 2021
No herd immunity yet
While some health officials have declared herd immunity has been achieved in regards to the coronavirus, others disagree, the Dallas Observer reported. “The fact that 30% of the United States population has said they will not be vaccinated is frightening,” said Erin Carlson, an associate clinical professor in the College of Nursing and Health Innovation at UT Arlington. “That means we cannot reach herd immunity nationally. If we cannot reach herd immunity nationally, we cannot reach it locally.” Less than half of Dallas County’s population has been fully vaccinated and herd immunity is attained when around 70% of a population has become protected from a disease via vaccination or past infection, Carlson said.
Texas Special Legislative Session
Thomas Marshall, UTA political science professor, spoke with FOX 4 about the Texas Special Legislative Session that began this week. Lawmakers will be taking up a number of proposed laws that didn’t pass in the regular session, including the “election integrity” bill. “It’s going to be controversial,” said Marshall. “The question is going to be whether it is barely acceptable to Democrats so that they don’t do a walkout of the House."
Economy & the arts in Arlington
In downtown Arlington, arts—including music, theater arts and dance at The University of Texas at Arlington—pump more than $118 million a year into the economy and support more than 1,200 jobs, The Dallas Morning News reported. The Downtown Arlington Management Corporation commissioned its first economic impact study to focus on the city’s downtown arts and culture. Community leaders say the study shows the strength and potential of the city’s arts and culture.
The surrogacy experience
Hundreds of babies are born by surrogacy each year in the United States. Heather Jacobson, UTA professor of sociology, discussed the national and international surrogacy process with WUNC North Carolina Public Radio. Surrogacy has become increasingly popular for families unable to conceive
Public health & politics
Daniel Sledge, UTA associate professor of political science, received a grant from the National Science Foundation to study how the state of Texas and entities such as food banks and homeless shelters responded to compounding crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and the winter freeze and subsequent power outages in February 2021, U.S. Fed News and Mirage News reported. With research on the intersection of public health and politics—and how both affect one’s daily life—Sledge hopes to bring much-needed insights that could inform planning and preparation for future disasters