To the editor,

In response to the recent editorial published on Sen. Marshall bullish on COVID vaccines, there is more to be done to defeat COVID.

We applaud Sen. Marshall’s leadership in advocating for all Kansans to be vaccinated and reaching herd immunity. However, herd immunity won’t be effective unless we stop COVID from mutating in other countries. Kansas recently recorded the new infectious strain from the U.K., and thankfully the current vaccine is effective against it. This won’t be the case for all foreign strains. Pandemics are, by definition, global and would need a global response. So far, only 0.2% of the U.S.’s response to the COVID crisis has been focused on global needs. If we are going to beat this virus, Sen. Marshall should ensure there is support for bipartisan global health priorities in the upcoming COVID relief bill they will vote on.

We urge Sen. Marshall to support global anti-hunger and malnutrition efforts along with the Global Fund to fight COVID. This will ensure that COVID doesn’t mutate again, harm the progress we have made towards ending malnutrition and COVID globally.

Marta Richenburg, Kansas City 

Sarah Gulledge,

Overland Park

Pranav Savanur, Manhattan