When COVID-19 is over will people take herd immunity seriously? (Alex Pierce)

One of the topics I have been passionate about throughout pharmacy school has been educating patients on the importance of being up to date on their vaccines. I was a kid when the “anti-vax” started and there were celebrities promoting how dangerous vaccines were for children. With the current COVID-19 pandemic it has given me time to ponder when this is all over, and things finally go back to normal, will the anti-vaccine movement finally be over? Will the general public have a different view on herd immunity and the importance of vaccines?

I have often thought that the reason the anti-vaccine movement has survived and been perpetuated this long is a relative sense of security we experience here in the US. For the most part communicable diseases are a thing of the past. Smallpox was eradicated in the 1980’s, pertussis and diphtheria both can be treated with antibiotics, and the influenza virus isn’t really that bad. For most people you get the flu for a couple of days and then you are back to normal. However, my community IPPE this past fall gave me some insight into a disease that most patients don’t ever consider, shingles. My community IPPE was in Jackson, and the majority of our patient population were elderly. There were more than a few days where I gave double digit Shingrix vaccinations. Almost all of my patients had active Shingles in the past, and they would do anything to not have another outbreak.

With the current COVID-19 pandemic there isn’t much data on any long term effects. But is it really that much of a stretch to think that it could cause some long term damage? Or what if the next thing that comes causes permanent damage? If your lungs become scarred and then you have to be on a permanent Asthma/COPD regimen, will people think twice about getting vaccinated? As pharmacists it is our job to be an unbiased source of information for our patients. And if patients choose not to accept our advice we are to accept their wishes. The importance of patient autonomy is a key right in healthcare. But I also think it is equally important to make sure patients don’t make the wrong decision, because they are getting their healthcare info from Facebook. It is my hope that when this current pandemic is over, we can return to rational thought when it comes to scientific information. What the anti-vax movement has ultimately taught me is how dangerous a faulty idea can be. That if you have a bad idea and it is on TV then it spreads like wildfire and it is very difficult for us healthcare professionals to change public opinion.