2019 Novel Coronavirus (CoVID-19): Part XVII
2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV (first named); COVID-2019 (later named disease); SARS-CoV-2 (final name of the virus causing COVID-2019), COVID-2019 Pandemic:
December 29, 2020 update Part 17 (Vaccines - Part #1)
Paul Herscu ND, MPH
Herscu Laboratory
Get the First Series of Shots!
I
receive numerous emails and telephone calls daily, from colleagues, family
members, other physicians, policymakers and schools, from across the globe, asking
me what my personal position is around the topic of COVID-19 and SARSCoV-2
vaccinations. With this update, I intend to answer these questions in broad and
specific ways. I would like to describe the variables to consider, so we all
have a fuller, nuanced understanding to contextualize this point of
view. At the end, I hope you will see why and how I believe that vaccine in
this very instance, at this specific time is important for everyone to
have. In the future, I hope we develop better solutions, since
this one is imperfect at best, but for the first cycle for the first year,
a vaccine is the best way forward. I will keep this short, and mostly
touch on a few of the most important variables. Please consider reading
this post in its entirety.
Amy
says I lost a decade of my life this year. As this virus began early this year,
most of you know the tireless work we embarked upon, and then when the virus came
into full swing, we wound up working with, well, countless patients with this
virus. The work is nonstop. Initially, most of the work was trying to change
the course of where we were going. But that was not to be. Here, I want to
describe how that intersects with the current question of vaccinating for
SARS-CoV-2, why we worked so broadly and tirelessly then to create a different
path forward.
Often,
people want a quick answer. And when I give them the quick answer, they seem
disappointed, or confused, or are left feeling surprised and unsure. One very
important group is integrative medicine providers (NDs, DCs, acupuncturists,
DOs, and integrative MDs etc.) Many are looking for their role at this time in
regard to the topic of vaccination. Please consider this discussion in the most
general way. What I mean is that the issues mentioned here are
universal to every epidemic/pandemic. Please don't simply apply this
understanding to the current pandemic, but consider these basic tenets that
ring true regardless of epidemic or pandemic illness. In other words,
learn these issues once, and you will be able to apply this at any other time
in the future. This framework is universal with regard to
understanding epidemics and pandemics.
That said, the topic of vaccinations in general has been polarized in our society, and in the midst of this pandemic, that polarization is evident and growing. Within this polarized landscape we are finding up to 50% of adults considering not seeking the vaccine, a public health disaster by any definition.
