Doctor Is In by Dr. Adil Manzoor OP/ED
Not long after the COVID pandemic broke out, there was worldwide worry. And understandably so, I must say. This worry quickly degenerated into panic when COVID showed just how dangerous a virus it is. It got so bad that scientists started fearing the hundreds of thousands of people that would die if we didn’t get a vaccine fast.
As fate would have it, the vaccine came fast. Very fast. I shouldn’t even be telling you all of these; that’s like preaching to the choir! But what I really want to point your attention to is the topic of herd immunity. I remember writing a piece or two about it.
The consensus some months back, particularly when it became obvious that a vaccine was on the way, was that herd immunity is a possibility. Herd immunity is basically when enough of the population of a state are vaccinated or protected against an infection to protect the unvaccinated and vulnerable ones.
Consider it like building a barrier around infected people. Assume person A gets the coronavirus and all around person A are vaccinated people; this will significantly limit the spread and transmission of the virus to other unvaccinated persons. This is one of the most effective ways of phasing any infection out of existence.
It was estimated that about 60-70% of the population needed to get vaccinated for us to have any sort of chance at herd immunity. Right now, over 48% of the US population is fully vaccinated. When you put things in perspective, we are getting close to herd immunity, aren’t we? Well, not quite.
One of the worst fears of this pandemic was that the virus would mutate into more resistant strains as time went on, and it did exactly that. In fact, the virus is surpassing expectations – which, of course, is bad news for us. These new variants are either more transmissible or more resistant to treatment, or even both. Whichever way, they are bothersome, and this has made many scientists dismiss the idea that we’ll ever get herd immunity.
Aside from the mutation bit, experts are still unclear on whether the vaccines prevent transmission of the virus. Herd immunity is only relevant if we have a vaccine that blocks the transmission of the virus. If we don’t have this such vaccine, then we need to get the whole population vaccinated. The latter option is definitely going to take a while. And we aren’t sure the vaccines we have right now will actually block transmission. Remember, the coronavirus is a novel virus, implying that there’s only so much we can know about it at this stage.
Then there’s also the possibility that immunity will wane over time. Vaccine manufacturers are already rolling out booster doses and all. All of these just show the hurdles we have to scale before getting herd immunity. Experts have even started suggesting the coronavirus will be like the influenza virus somehow, and we will just have to live with it.
It’s not all dark and gloomy, though. Even if herd immunity in the real sense is not possible, getting enough of the population vaccinated will go a long way in significantly limiting the spread of this deadly virus. Some countries even give just one dose of the vaccine to limit the spread to a very reasonable level.
One thing is sure, though, and it’s that getting the vaccine is still the only way we can beat the virus. At least, as of now. So, play your part and get vaccinated. Stay safe.
This article was written by Dr. Adil Manzoor DO, a Board Certified Internist & Board Eligible Pediatrician, who works as a Hospitalist, and Emergency Room Physician. He is also the current President of Garden State Street Medicine, a non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to provide free preventive and acute urgent care services for the homeless. He is also the co-founder of his own unique medical practice Mobile Medicine NJ.
References
· https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00728-2
· https://theconversation.com/amp/covid-19-may-never-go-away-but-practical-herd-immunity-is-within-reach-162406
