Boost immunity to combat Covid
VACCINES and border restrictions are not the only things that can protect us from Covid-19. The current messaging suggests, aside from border restrictions, that the vaccine is the only way we can be protected from coronavirus. Indeed, Deputy Ferbrache stated during one of the briefing meetings, ‘Our protection comes entirely from our border restrictions and our vaccinations’. But is this really true? What about our immune system? Does that not offer any protection? Surely our own natural immune system is our first line of defence, not just against coronavirus, but any virus or its variants. So, as Public Health’s mission is ‘to work effectively to protect, promote and improve the health and wellbeing of all islanders’ (www.gov.gg/publichealth) the message about what we can do as individuals to better protect ourselves should be viewed as important as the constant messaging about the vaccines – which in effect are our second line of defence.
True, having a healthy immune system does not mean you will not get Covid-19, but then neither does the vaccine. But what it could do is protect you from getting seriously ill or dying, which is what they hope the vaccines will do. So although Public Health state on their website: ‘Staying healthy and keeping active are more important than ever…’, this is hardly, if ever, mentioned as a way of protecting ourselves, though Dr Brink did say during the briefing on 28 July: ‘We need to think how we can keep ourselves healthy.’ But that was the extent to which it was discussed, no mention as to why it is really important to do so, nor any reference to all the services and support that people can have access to in order to help them achieve better health. Why ever not?
Dr Brink, in her role as director of Public Health, has been in the public eye since the pandemic began. Thousands of people regularly tune in to listen to what she has to say. The briefings would be the ideal platform to stress the importance of staying healthy and keeping active as a way of boosting our own natural immunity, especially as, Dr Brink said: ‘We are moving away from a legislative framework for managing the Covid pandemic and moving towards one where every single Bailiwick citizen takes personal responsibility for how they manage Covid for themselves…’ Unfortunately, it is not a quick fix, and some people will be relying on the vaccine. However, taking the long-term view, in an overall fitter and healthier population, fewer people will fall seriously ill due to Covid, placing less stress on the health service – which was why restrictions were introduced in the first place, were they not?
So with strong messaging to encourage the general population to do all they can to boost their own immune system and a robust vaccination programme ensuring those most vulnerable are immunised, people should feel confident that as a community we are well protected and have little to fear from a relaxation of the borders…
ANNIE ASHMEAD
2, Mullavilly
Bulwer Avenue
St Sampson
GY2 4LB