NOVEMBER BLOG

WHAT IS HERD IMMUNITY?

What is Herd Immunity?  According to the Oxford Dictionary, “resistance to the spread of an infectious disease within in a population that is based on pre-existing immunity of a high proportion of individuals as a result of previous infection or vaccination – the level of vaccination needed to achieve herd immunity by disease ranges from 83% – 94%.”

With the rising number of cases of COVID-19 around the world, health officials continue to work to find the best way to protect the public from the disease.   “Herd Immunity,” which some people, including Donald Trump, have said will eventually bring the pandemic to a close, even without a vaccine.  Social distancing is an easy concept for most people to understand while herd immunity is more complex.

Since October 4th, a proposal from a group of scientists advocating for reaching herd immunity through the uncontrolled spread of Covid-19, known as the Great Barrington Declaration, has caught the attention of scientists and government officials around the world, including the U.S. President.  In the process, the conversations have ignited the debate on reopening society and the cost in human lives.

Herd immunity or community immunity, is when a large part of the population of an area is immune to a specific disease.  If enough people are resistant to the cause of a disease, such as a virus or bacteria, it has nowhere to go.  While not every single individual may be immune, the group as a whole has protection.  This is because there are fewer high-risk people overall.  The infection rates drops and the disease peters out!  “It would not protect the individual, but it protects the group from a new outbreak.” says Dr. Howard P. Forman, professor of radiology and public health

How Do You Achieve Herd Immunity?   There are two ways this can happen.

• First, you can develop resistance naturally.  When the body is exposed to a virus or bacteria, it makes antibodies to fight off the infection.  When you recover, the body keeps these antibodies and the body will defend against another infection.  Natural immunity can help create herd immunity, but it doesn’t work as well as vaccinations.  This is what stopped the Zika virus outbreak in Brazil.  There are several reasons for this:

1. Everyone would have to contract the illness once to become immune.
2. Contracting an illness can have health risks, sometimes serious.
3. You may not know if you’ve contracted the illness or if you’re immune to it.

• Secondly, vaccines can build resistance, making the body think a virus or bacteria infected it.  You don’t get sick, but your immune system still makes protective antibodies.  The next time your body meets that bacteria or virus, it’s ready to fight it off.  This is what stopped polio in the United States.

Dr. Robert Salata, an infectious disease specialist and program director of the Roe Green Center for Global Health & Medicine at University Hospitals in Cleveland, herd immunity is achieved when 45% to 70% of a general population have developed antibodies to a particular virus, which should provide widespread protection against the infection.  But in most cases, 80 to 95 percent of the population must be immune to the disease to stop its spread.  If the coronavirus is like the flu, we can expect a few months of protection.

When government officials talk about relying on “herd immunity” as a strategy for slowing and possibly stopping the Covid-19 pandemic without a vaccine, it’s a more dangerous approach.  Instead of waiting for a safe and effective vaccine, it involves reopening schools and businesses so that the virus has the opportunity to make its way through the population naturally, causing a rising death toll in the process, until there are enough individuals with immunity to protect the community from another outbreak.  The Great Barrington Declaration calls for immediately permitting people to resume their pre-pandemic lives if they’re not vulnerable to Covid-19. 

More than 6,400 scientists, researchers, and healthcare professionals signed a memorandum denouncing herd immunity through uncontrolled transmission as “a dangerous fallacy unsupported by scientific evidence.”  Dr. William Hanage, associate professor of epidemiology at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan’s School of Public Health, says the declaration leaves out crucial information including the difference between achieving herd immunity through a vaccine versus uncontrolled transmission and denouncing this approach as “a dangerous fallacy unsupported by scientific evidence.”

Can the herd immunity strategy be safe and effective at this point in the pandemic? 
According to Doctor’s Forman, Hanage and thousands of other medical researchers and practitioners, the answer is a resounding no!  According to Dr. Forman, herd immunity through infection in the United States would result in more than one million premature deaths.  “The consequences of infection are worst for older folks, but are much more dangerous for younger people than any vaccine that would ever be licensed.” 

Younger people are dying, too!  October 23rd, the Centers for Disease Control reported there have been approximately 300,000 more deaths in the U.S. than would be expected.  The group with the largest percentage increase was between ages of 25 and 44.   At the final presidential debate, Trump claimed “99.9 percent of young people” recover from Covid-19, which is categorically untrue - no surprise there!   In September the journal, JAMA Internal Medicine, indicated 21% of people hospitalized with Covid-19 between the ages of 18 and 34 required intensive care, 10% required mechanical ventilation and nearly 3% died.

The Trump administration embraced the Great Barrington Declaration.  In April, Trump criticized Sweden’s handling of Covid-19, incorrectly claiming it involved a herd immunity strategy – another non-surprise!  Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIAID, has consistently opposed to the idea of reaching herd immunity through uncontrolled transmission.  The views on herd immunity were suggested by  Dr. Scott Atlas, the newest Covid-19 adviser, a radiologist with no previous experience in epidemiology, infectious diseases, or health policy and herd immunity enthusiast.  Has this type of herd immunity ever been successful?  In short, no according to Dr. Forman, “there has never been a deliberate attempt to reach herd immunity through uncontrolled transmission, rather than a vaccine. “  “Seeking immunity through uncontrolled transmission is the quickest route to a lockdown,” he says.

Is there a more effective approach to ending the coronavirus outbreak?  There is, according to Dr. Hanage - pandemic management. “When you see countries such as Japan, Vietnam, Germany, Norway, Australia and New Zealand managing to avoid large surges, there are many possible approaches.”  For example, Japan is a high-mask-use society and began putting interventions in place targeting clusters of transmission early in the pandemic.  If enough people avoid the “three Cs” — close contact, closed ventilated spaces and crowds — is expected to slow the viral spread. 

There are several reasons why herd immunity isn’t the answer to stopping the spread of the new coronavirus:

• There isn’t a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2.  Vaccinations are the safest way to practice herd immunity in a population.
• The research for antivirals and other medications to treat COVID-19 is ongoing.
• Scientists don’t know if you can contract SARS-CoV-2 and develop COVID-19 more than once.
• People who contract SARS-CoV-2 and develop COVID-19 can experience serious side effects.  Severe cases can lead to death.
• Doctors don’t yet know exactly why some people who contract SARS-CoV-2 develop severe COVID-19, while others do not.
• Vulnerable members of society, such as older adults and people with some chronic health conditions, could get very sick if they’re exposed to this virus.
• Otherwise healthy and younger people may become very ill with COVID-19.
• Hospitals and healthcare systems may be overburdened if many people develop COVID-19 at the same time.

According to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Coronavirus antibodies may last for at least 4 months and decline at a slower rate than previously thought.  Researchers found that antibody levels seemed to increase in the 2 months after diagnosis and remained at a plateau for the next 2 months.  Antibody levels were higher in older people and those who had more severe infections, the researchers wrote. Women also had lower antibody levels than men, and smokers had lower antibody levels than non-smokers.

The safest way to get immunity is through vaccination.   Herd immunity isn’t the answer to stopping the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19.  Social distancing and frequent handwashing are currently the only ways to help prevent you and those around you from contracting and potentially spreading SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19.  

The Immune System.  White blood cells are the first line of defense!  The immune system fights off disease causing microorganisms and engineers the healing process.  The immune system is vital to fighting every assault on the body!  Understanding the role the immune systems plays in overall health will provide you the ability to take responsibility for your own health.  The responsibility of the immune system is to learn and identify those things that naturally belong in the body and those foreign or harmful.

The Best Immune Boosters

• Sovereign Silver - Colloidal Silver - is a solution of microscopic silver atoms suspended in a liquid solution.  Colloidal silver can kill certain germs by binding to and destroying proteins.  It has been shown in studies to be antimicrobial and antibacterial.  It doesn’t disrupt the body’s balance of good bacteria or microflora.   It is totally safe to take on short term basis - especially for an immune system boost.  Sovereign Silver checks all of these boxes for purity and bioavailability

• Echinacea - is well known for its ability to support the immune system especially during the colder months.  For years doctors and herbalists in Europe have commonly suggested Echinacea to support immune health.  Echinacea appears to activate chemicals in the body's immune system that decrease inflammation, which might reduce cold and flu symptoms.
   

• Elderberry - affects the immune system.  Elderberry promotes activity against viruses including the flu and might reduce inflammation.   It has very high concentrations of a few immune supporting compounds like vitamin C and antioxidants.

• Probiotics - Not all bacteria is bad! 70-80% of your immune system resides in the digestive tract.  Probiotics help to populate your gut with good microflora that not only help with digestion but also support the immune system.

When taking probiotics for an immune boost, get one with a variety of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains and a high concentration of CFUs, colony forming units – this is the amount of live microorganisms that help to populate the gut.

• Zinc - is a mineral or an "essential trace element," because very small amounts of zinc are necessary for human health.  The human body does not store excess zinc it must be consumed regularly as part of the diet.  It is found in several systems and biological reactions, and it is needed for immune function, wound healing, blood clotting, thyroid function and much more.  Zinc might have effects against viruses.  It appears to lessen symptoms of the rhinovirus, common cold, but researchers can’t yet explain exactly how this works. 

• Vitamin C – the single most important antioxidant for the immune system.  It is essential for the formation on adrenal hormones and lymphocytes.  It also has a direct effect on bacteria and viruses

• Coenzyme Q10 – Supports the immune system, an oxygen enhancer to protect the cells and heart function. 

• Garlic – stimulates the immune system

• Kelp – supplies a balance of minerals needed for immune integrity

• Maitake, Reishi or Shitake extracts – build immunity and fight viral infections and cancer

• Grape Seed extract – one of the most potent antioxidants, protects cells

• Oregonal – helps digestion by increasing bile flow and fighting against some bacteria, viruses, fungi, intestinal worms and other parasites.  Research published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology found that oil of oregano is an excellent germicide capable of killing a wide range of fungi and bacteria.

• Bayberry, Fenugreek, Hawthorn, Horehound, Licorice Root and Red Clover enhance the immune system.

• Power Greens – “a glass a day!”   Should include spirulina, kelp, chlorophyll and made from:  
  • Natural ingredients
  • High veggie to lower fruit ratio
  • Complete vegetable blend
  • Vitamins and minerals
  • Low in sodium and sugars
  • Includes probiotics
  • Includes super mushrooms

ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR PERSONAL HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL

• Elizabeth Yuko, Rolling Stone, October 27, 2020
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