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Covid Vaccines: Are they cure-all for pandemic?
Specialist Consultant Paediatrician and Honorary Senior Fellow, Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
It is not all that necessary to point out the global and local impact of this coronavirus that causes COVID-19 disease. It is now well known that Infection rates are mounting, deaths are increasing and many variants or mutants are emerging all over the world, as well as the fact that the onslaught of the blight is affecting very many countries in the world. In a concerted effort towards responding to the pandemic, several countries of the world have produced several vaccines of different types. Many of these are in the testing stage still and a few have been approved and licensed for use. Quite a few countries have gone far with their vaccination initiatives and we, in our little Paradise Isle, have started our vaccination programmes.
Many people are under the impression that vaccines are the panacea for all ills in COVID-19 and that it is the God-given gift to mankind against this pandemic. It has been promulgated fervently and assiduously as the ONLY solution to the problem. Even top statesmen have gone on record to say that this is so. However, it is as far away as we can get to the truth and reality. Vaccines are NOT the ONLY solution to all the woes of COVID-19. Let us get one thing quite straight: at best, it is just one of the strategies that are a part of a multi-faceted and multi-pronged onslaught against the vagaries of this nasty little virus.
The most serious pandemic in the last century, now known as Spanish influenza or Spanish Flu, occurred in the West in 1918/1919. More than 40 million people, perhaps approaching 50 million, from all over the planet, died from an infection with an influenza A virus of the subtype H1N1. The exact origin of that pandemic influenza A virus strain is still not known. There were no anti-viral drugs, no vaccines and people were advised to avoid crowds, wear masks and wash their hands. It killed loads of people but those who survived had no long-term problems. Then the virus went away EVEN WITHOUT A VACCINE. In the most likely scenario of that cataclysmic pandemic, more than 70 per cent of those who were alive had immunity following infection with the virus; the so-called “Herd Immunity”. There were no susceptible humans for the virus to tag on to, and it was not able to survive and propagate. So, Mother Nature got rid of it.
Now then…, let us get one thing straight. To get herd immunity to the current coronavirus, over seventy per cent of the population have to be either people who have recovered after contracting the disease or those who have been vaccinated. So far only one country seems to have achieved that magic number of over 70 per cent; that is Israel. Today, the Israelites have the disease well under control. Of course, there are a few new cases detected every day but things are under control and their scientists are convinced that there is no major threat, at the present time. People have been set free. Bars and restaurants, the beaches, the cinemas, entertainment sites etc.., all are open freely to the public PROVIDED they can show the vaccination certificate. The schools are run as usual and their scientists believe that there is no serious threat to the children, although they are not vaccinated. Yet for all that, the health authorities are keeping a very sharp eye on the situation and they will act pronto if things get out of hand or deteriorate.
However, what is not generally appreciated is that the Israeli authorities did some other things, even well before the vaccination process was even started. At the very onset of the pandemic, they sent out all their commercial aircraft and got all the Israelites who wanted to come back, into the country without any hassle. Then they paid up-front for sufficient doses of the vaccine for the entire population. Following that, they instituted and enforced very strict public health measures like avoiding crowds, wearing masks, physical distancing and washing of hands. These were implemented to the letter. People were fined for violating the health guidelines. Even the top politicians, the rich and the powerful simply had to comply. Then only, and quite recently at that, they employed their vaccination programme where ALL adults over 18 years of age were virtually compulsorily vaccinated. Now they are reaping the benefits of all these measures. So, it is not ONLY the vaccine but a conglomeration of all these measures that helped the Israelites.
The second country is New Zealand. Their Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern imposed very strict health guidelines from the very outset. No holds were barred. In a landmark event, even the Prime Minister herself, and her partner, were refused entry to a restaurant because the place was full-up to the maximum allowed under her health guidelines. She did not throw her weight and accepted the decision of the restaurant management. Then they started their vaccination campaign. They are going well but so far are quite short of the 70 per cent coverage of the population. However, the strict health guidelines and lockdowns have managed to control the disease. It was statesmanship, perhaps we should call it ‘stateswomanship’, at its very best, with empathy and kindness, added as the icing, if at all it could be called a ‘cake’.
There is another consideration regarding the vaccine that is vitally important. We do not know for sure how effective the vaccines are against mutant strains of the virus. At the moment India is reeling under the onslaught of a new variant of the virus that is claimed to have a triple mutation in the new strain; a kind of three-in-one phenomenon. It certainly looks like a rather nasty type which is making people severely ill and killing many who are affected. India has not been able to vaccinate sufficient numbers as well. The current catastrophe in our immediate neighbour country probably implies that the violent spread of this deadly mutant is due to the general population completely disregarding the health guidelines.
Finally, the contention that vaccination is the only final solution may institute a state of complacency in those who are vaccinated in Sri Lanka. Besides, they have only had the first dose and their protection may not be all that complete. Although we have managed to vaccinate just under a million people, such an erroneous idea might induce the vaccinated people to run riot. As far as numbers go, and just as an example, even if 100,000 of those vaccinated go berserk, it would surely lead to further woes for the health authorities and the government. There is no room at all for complacency in our resplendent isle. Whatever anyone says, scholarly science dictates very clearly that vaccination is not the ONLY solution and the ancillary public health measures are as important. It would be best to admonish our populace, constantly and firmly; again, and again, to avoid crowds, wash their hands repeatedly, maintain a physical distance of at least one metre and wear masks properly, and for that matter, even double-mask, if at all possible. We cannot stress this any more than this. The responsibilities lie firmly at the doorsteps of our people.