Guest Opinion | This COVID vaccine is all about community

||| FROM IRIS GRAVILLE |||

Action. That’s what community looks like in the San Juan Islands. We make meals when there’s a health crisis or a new baby arrives. When a family’s house burns down, we give shelter and help construct a new one. Some of us mentor school kids, others drive shuttles for seniors, and many sit on boards of local non-profits and government entities. Now we have another important way to build community—receiving COVID-19 immunizations.

“Herd immunity” is a term developed by livestock veterinarians in the 1910s. By the 1980s when I began work in public health, the phrase referred to the portion of a human population that had immunity either because they’d had the disease or been vaccinated. Ideally, herd immunity causes the disease to disappear. That’s how smallpox was eradicated worldwide in 1980.

I prefer the phrase “community immunity.” When enough of us are immunized against COVID-19, we protect ourselves as well as our community’s elders; people of color; and people with diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and chronic lung disorders.

When the Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in January 2021, health professionals here readied themselves to administer doses. San Juan County Health and Community Services, Lopez Island Pharmacy, and some primary care clinics led the way. On Lopez, over 50 volunteers stepped up to help at the vaccine sites; many had already made thousands of masks for individuals and local businesses. Now, pharmacies and providers on San Juan, Orcas, and Lopez offer COVID-19 immunizations.

During a volunteer stint at a recent clinic on Lopez that vaccinated three hundred people, I repeatedly heard comments such as:
“I was over the moon when I heard I was eligible!” “It feels like we’re finally moving forward.” “I don’t care if my arm is sore. I’m just grateful to get the shot.” I hope this zeal continues as we islanders strive for community immunity. However, county childhood immunization rates suggest achieving it for COVID-19 could be challenging when vaccine is approved for kids.

In 2012, the New England Journal of Medicine reported San Juan County was among the worst in the nation for vaccinating children. That year, only 28% of  kindergarteners and 11% of sixth graders met school immunization requirements for diseases like chicken pox, measles, and pertussis (whooping cough). While rates have improved, the 2018-19 school year data indicated fewer than 50% of children were fully immunized.

Soon, anyone over age 16 (or 18 for the Moderna vaccine) will be eligible for COVID vaccine. If you’re undecided about whether you or your family will seek immunization, here’s some key information to consider.

• Two doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are required to fully immunize an individual. The Johnson and Johnson formulation requires only one injection. All three are effective, so take whichever one is available.
• Research shows vaccines protect most individuals from the significant neurological, psychological, and cardiac effects from the disease, even in young and healthy individuals who might have had mild symptoms to start..
• By mid-April, the general population will have access to COVID vaccines. Until we achieve community immunity, though, we’ll still need to continue other practices to help prevent virus spread: masks and distancing—especially with groups of people—plus regular hand washing.

Uncertain about whether the vaccine is right for you? Explore these reliable sources:

• How Would COVID Vaccines Work in Your Body?, a one-minute YouTube video that explains how the immunization protects
• CDC’s COVID-19 vaccine information page
• CDC’s Myths and Facts about COVID-19 Vaccine
• WA State Department of Health—COVID Vaccine Safety and Effectiveness

Dear island neighbors, I’m grateful vaccines were developed so quickly and that both my husband and I are fully immunized. Our thirty-something daughter recently qualified for the vaccine, too, and she made an appointment right away. I hope as more people become eligible, they’ll also sign up for this free, preventive measure. After all, it’s about community.

Author Bio: Iris Graville is a Lopez Island resident, a writer, and a retired public health nurse. She’s president of the Lopez Island Hospital District board and a member of the Lopez COVID Health Support Team.