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Then_Campaign7264 t1_itbn52v wrote

The article provides a link to a publication in the Lancet explaining what is meant by an “immunity gap”. An NPI is a non-pharmaceutical intervention:

“Although many infections and their associated morbidity and mortality were prevented by NPIs, decreased exposure to endemic viruses created an immunity gap—a group of susceptible individuals who avoided infection and therefore lack pathogen-specific immunity to protect against future infection. Decreases in childhood vaccinations with pandemic disruptions to health-care delivery contribute to this immunity gap for vaccine-preventable diseases, such as influenza, measles, and polio. The cumulative effect of new susceptible birth cohorts, waning immunity over time with decreased exposures to usual endemic viruses, and lagging vaccination rates in some settings widens this immunity gap and increases the potential for future outbreaks of endemic viruses.”

Source: https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(22)01277-6/fulltext

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SovietSunrise OP t1_itbniv7 wrote

I was just reading that. Very interesting, I wonder how they will manage this immunity gap in the long run.

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Grouchy_Occasion2292 t1_itclxl0 wrote

I wouldn't trust the lancet they routinely publish studies that have been debunked and called out by peers. The PACE trial study being one of the most famous. Even though the GET/PACE study has been proven to be factually and scientifically inaccurate and not based on the scientific method it's still up and they still stand behind it. Don't trust the lancet.

https://www.bmj.com/content/362/bmj.k3621

News article https://www.statnews.com/2016/09/21/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-pace-trial/

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rtgh t1_itd44el wrote

> The PACE trial study being one of the most famous.

The most famous one is surely Wakefield's vaccine autism fraud

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TheRavenSayeth t1_itd5dhd wrote

Which they finally retracted after like 10 years. They are a reputable journal, though this study was handled poorly by them from start to finish.

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Grouchy_Occasion2292 t1_itcmb06 wrote

And here's a letter by scientists in virology demanding an independent review.

https://www.virology.ws/2021/04/18/trial-by-error-letter-to-lancet-editor-demanding-independent-investigation-of-pace-reprise-from-2018/

And a link the times article https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/call-for-review-of-flawed-me-research-in-lancet-letter-l75rvcprh

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Then_Campaign7264 t1_itctiaz wrote

Both letters you cite were published more than a year before the Lancet article I cite and have absolutely nothing to do with Covid or immunity gaps. One letter challenges a study on chronic fatigue and the other myalgic encephalomyelitis. What is your point????? The lancet article was used to provide a definition of immunity gap. That’s it.

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QuintonFrey t1_itc22yy wrote

I hate to admit Republicans are right about anything, but broken clock and all that. Admittedly they were right about this, but I don't see what we could have done differently without putting kids at needless risk, so...let's say they were half right.

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Then_Campaign7264 t1_itc7plg wrote

While this immunity gap was anticipated, the risk to both children and adults when Covid was ravaging the world and no vaccines were available for children, it made sense to continue to protect children from all illnesses. It took time for medical researchers to understand how to treat and mitigate Covid. It took time to understand what the long term impact the virus might have on infected individuals of all ages.

The pediatric and adult intensive care units and emergency rooms were overburdened. Medical staff was pushed to their limits. Parents were unable to be with children in hospital. That was not the time to take chances with a child’s health.

What is emerging now is never desirable; but, the chances of recovering from the respiratory viruses that are now impacting children are much greater now than they were when the health care system was dealing with the worst of Covid. Children can now be vaccinated against Covid which should mitigate the health challenges facing pediatric care.

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QuintonFrey t1_itcbwl0 wrote

I agree with this. Love how I'm getting downvoted for saying republicans were potentially half right one time lol.

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Then_Campaign7264 t1_itcd2p0 wrote

I’m assuming that the challenges to your comment have more to do with the importance of not making a complex health care matter a political issue, regardless of party positions.

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QuintonFrey t1_itd15kc wrote

Well, I'm a Democrat for one. I don't see how saying they were right about the immunity issue and then immediately following that with there was nothing else we could have done either way isn't just am objective fact, but eh...I could get hundreds of downvotes for one comment and it's not going to hurt my feelings any, so I say keep em coming.

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Then_Campaign7264 t1_itd4din wrote

The immunity gap is real. But the risks early on far outweighed the need to protect children until vaccines were readily available and administered, overall hospitalizations had declined and schools had put in place new measures to prevent infection. Once that happened, parents felt much safer sending children back to school and daycare, regardless of party affiliation.

Unfortunately republicans were pushing to reopen in person learning and daycare before vaccines, before the health care systems had stabilized and before they school systems had adequate staffing and safety measures. So with regard to timing, they were not right. And that was a very real problem.

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khanfusion t1_itdw9wf wrote

Republicans weren't worried about kids not getting more vaccines, they just had this idea that if kids get sick at school it's a good thing. It was and still is idiotic.

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khanfusion t1_itdw4jh wrote

You didn't really specify what half, and honestly Republicans were and still are making such a mess of everything that giving them any kind of credit where it is clearly undue is an irritating thing to see.

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edgarapplepoe t1_itgpi08 wrote

Esp when we don't know if the rampant covid in children damaged them and they might be more susceptible to these types of infections (esp respiratory ones).

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