What is herd immunity?

Flu season is in full swing and the headlines are alarming. For example, CDC confirms widespread and intense flu season across U.S., CDC official explains why flu is near epidemic, peaking earlier this 12 monthsAND Severe flu triggers drug shortages, crowded emergency rooms and rising death toll in Californiaare only a couple of of the headlines which might be causing concern for many individuals. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a very powerful technique to prevent the flu is to get a flu shot yearly. Remember, this advice just isn’t only for your personal safety.

or herd immunity, makes it harder for infectious diseases to spread, especially amongst people for whom vaccination is contraindicated. This is an indirect way of protecting individuals by vaccinating the general public. Herd immunity protects everyone, however it is particularly vital for individuals who cannot get vaccinated—for instance, those that have life-threatening allergies to any component of the flu vaccine.

An example of disruption of herd immunity was an event from the recent past. If you recall, in 2015 there was a measles outbreak in California when an unvaccinated child was hospitalized with a rash. The child’s travel history included a recent visit to a Disney theme park, and over a two-month period, roughly 125 additional cases were linked to visits to Disneyland (Gould, 2017).

So what is the problem? Recently, the security of vaccines has been questioned by many, with the controversy attracting more attention than the diseases they’re purported to prevent. In addition, lots of us weren’t alive when certain infectious diseases existed—those for which vaccines are actually available and really useful. Most of us haven’t been touched by the crippling effects of polio or the ravages of diphtheria.

While the flu may not seem to be a terrible disease to some, it might be devastating to others. According to Centers for Disease Control and PreventionSince October 1, 2017, 6486 laboratory-confirmed influenza-related hospitalizations have been reported, and seven% (epidemic threshold) of deaths for the 12 months (as much as and including the week ending December 23, 2017) were resulting from pneumonia and influenza. Twenty pediatric influenza-related deaths were reported through the 2017–2018 influenza season (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018).

When it involves vaccinations, keep in mind that by protecting yourself, you might be protecting many others. As nurses, we’re in a critical position to coach our patients and the general public. Use these tools to remain healthy this flu season and remember to SHARE the flu vaccine advice.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018, January 12). . Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm

Gould, K. (2017). Vaccine safety: evidence-based research must prevail. , 145-147.

US Department of Health & Human Services. (2017, December). Retrieved from Vaccines.gov: https://www.vaccines.gov/basics/work/protection/index.html