Herd immunity explained – what you need to know

What is herd immunity?

You might have heard the phrase 'herd immunity' recently and wondered what this is all about.
Herd, or population immunity, is the process by which large groups of people become naturally exposed to an infection, allowing them to become resistant by creating antibodies against this particular infection. With any luck, this means they can become more resilient to the same infection in the future. The supposed benefits are that if a level of immunity is reached within a population, then the risk of an infection pandemic becomes reduced.
Population immunity would mainly be achieved by allowing the majority of the population to go around their business as usual, whilst shielding only the most vulnerable, in the case of a pandemic.

Would it really be successful?

The debate around the efficacy, and safety of population immunity is on-going. Some countries around the world such as Sweden are a little more pro-active with this approach within their communities, but could there be vital differences as to why it may be successful in some places, and perhaps, not so much, in others?

As we know, depending on the type of infection, certain segments of our community may be more at risk of having worse outcomes if they were to fall victim to it; be it genetic factors, or patterns in health status, such as certain nutrient deficiencies across certain communities. Therefore, a one-size fits all approach may not be suitable across different countries.

Then, in terms of the approach itself – would it really protect us from future infection? This idea isn't clear-cut, and again, very much depends on the type of infection. Whilst we will produce antibodies during our first exposure to a certain infection, that isn't to say that these antibodies will last indefinitely in our systems. Also, the bugs, themselves that contribute to these viruses or bacterial infections are clever, they can mutate and change, overtime, for example, meaning we may be prone to re-infection. This also explains why the flu jab, isn't always necessarily a fail-safe way to offer protection.

What are the risks?

The risk of this type of approach of achieving immunity is simple: it means a larger number of people would become exposed to the infection, which puts them at risk of suffering from the symptoms. Also, depending on how infectious the infection in question is, it could mean that a large number of people are exposed to it, all at once; but the experts can help predict the likely percentage of people who would eventually catch it.
Then, depending on the type of infection, the symptoms may be quite varied. Generally, though, it could mean that some people are at risk of becoming quite ill. This means that the majority of the population would need to be able to have a fairly strong enough constitution - or at least strong enough to handle becoming ill with this particular infection, whilst only the most vulnerable would be shielded.

What’s the best approach for you to take?

Whilst the decision on whether or not herd immunity should be rolled out is somewhat out with our control, for now, my advice is to support your immunity as best you can by employing some simple, yet effective steps from home:

1 - Clear up the deficiencies

Whether or not population immunity is put into practice, sometimes we can still become ill, despite our best efforts to avoid this. So, what can you do? My advice is to look after yourself, aim to be as healthy as possible and try to avoid the eventuality of nutrient deficiencies as much as possible.

Vitamin D, for one, has hit the headlines recently, claiming that a deficiency could really put you at risk of becoming more ill, if you were to fall victim to infection.¹

This sits nicely with our advice that by attempting to put any deficiencies right initially, you can help to give yourself the best possible chance for staying healthy in the future. Whilst overloading on high doses isn't recommended, obtaining a moderate dose of vitamin D, together with some other essential nutrients including vitamin C and zinc, for example, should help to put your immune system in good stead.

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2 - Limit stress

In the midst of some more unprecedented times, managing stress may seem like an impossible task for some. However, it really is a priority, in a bid to help protect your mental health, as well as your resilience to infection.

Stress management is often a multi-disciplinary approach and to some extent it is individual. What enables you to switch off may vary from person to person but generally, limiting screens, minimising your exposure to social media and practising some calming self-care tactics can be useful tactics.

My Self-Care Tip: My favourite self-care practices: the 3 B’s

Here I offer some of my favourite tips to help you relax and ward off stress.

3 - Use echinacea

Echinacea is a licensed herbal remedy to help reduce the severity and duration of your symptoms, if you are unfortunate enough to fall ill. Take it 3 times daily, from the first sign of infection.