You may have probably heard of the term herd immunity, how it is key to ending the COVID-19 pandemic and returning to normal, and how it is up to every one of us to achieve this.
So, what is herd immunity? And more importantly, what role does each one of us play here?
As your partners in health, let us at LowCost Pharmacy, the leading independent pharmacy in Ohio, give you a primer on what you need to know.
As the name suggests, herd or community immunity refers to an outcome from immunizing a large part of the population to a specific disease such that when enough people are vaccinated, the virus or bacteria causing the infection has nowhere to go.
Experts usually set the rate at which herd immunity can be achieved. For the COVID-19, experts say immunizing 70% of the world can get us to this level.
Here’s where we all play a role.
Herd immunity happens in two ways.
- One, you naturally develop resistance when you are exposed to the virus and get sick. Upon recovering, your body will keep the antibodies you developed and will fight the infection if you get infected again.
- And two, by getting vaccinated. Vaccination works similarly, only that you don’t get sick; your dose makes your body think you have such that it develops antibodies, too.
We cannot all get sick to develop resistance and take prescription medications to combat it. This would overwhelm our healthcare system, and there is no way to tell if one can survive the disease in the first place. Thus, getting vaccinated is very important.
Are you vaccinated? We offer COVID-19 vaccines in our pharmacy in Cleveland, Ohio. Sign up today!
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