David O’Brien: The path out of the pandemic

Pandemics have swept the world and plagued mankind since ancient times. The smallpox and measles viruses led to more than 5 million deaths during the Antonine Plague in the second century. The Plague of Justinian killed 30 to 50 million in the sixth century, and as many as 200 million people died from the Black Death plague in the 14th century. The 1918 influenza pandemic (“Spanish flu”) killed approximately 50 million people. More recently, in 2009, the Swine Flu, which consisted of several influenza strains, resulted in over 200,000 deaths.

Those numbers don’t include the millions of people who suffered terribly with these conditions. Most of these early plagues were treated with “homegrown” remedies: mustard plasters applied to the chest; special herbs made into teas; bloodletting; cleaning the “bad air” by carrying bouquets of flowers; or allowing smoke from burning thatch to fill the sickroom. Young children were encouraged to smoke to “clear the lungs of disease.”

Today’s pandemic presents an opportunity to build on what we have learned from the past, and apply this knowledge to develop modern, evidence-based treatments with the real possibility of control or prevention of disease. The development of the current vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 is based on work in immunization science starting in the late 1700s.

The English physician Edward Jenner observed that milkmaids who caught cowpox after milking cows never developed smallpox. He discovered that inoculating people with material from cowpox lesions would prevent smallpox. In 1801, Jenner published his treatise “On the Origin of the Vaccine Inoculation”. In this work, he summarized his discoveries and expressed hope that “the annihilation of the smallpox, the most dreadful scourge of the human species, must be the final result of this practice.” Almost two centuries after Jenner hoped that vaccination could annihilate smallpox, the 33rd World Health Assembly declared the world free of this disease on May 8, 1980, a truly miraculous achievement in international public health.

Fast forward to 2020, and the “rapid” development of the COVID-19 vaccine, which is based on the work of dedicated medical researchers over the past 200 years.

Understanding viruses such as polio, measles and rabies, as well as HIV/AIDS , has allowed virologists to make many advances in understanding the biology of viruses. Immunologists built on this knowledge to develop vaccines using protein or messenger RNA (mRNA) approaches. Although SARS-CoV-2 is a new virus, immunologists have successfully applied these tested technologies to rapidly develop the vaccines available to our community.

For the first time in human history, our understanding of medicine, virology and technology has presented us with a way to make a real impact on the control of a serious worldwide pandemic. Drawing inspiration from this amazing situation in which a perfect combination of time and circumstances has come together, we feel grateful and proud that a vaccine for this terrible virus can be provided on a large scale to bring hope for our world to recover. Although we may experience frustrations about the vaccination process, we must not lose sight of the dedication and hard work of medical and public health professionals whose efforts have resulted in our chance to avoid a severe case of this terrible disease.

As a health system, MultiCare has provided 196,000 vaccine doses to Washingtonians since December, 48,000 in the Inland Northwest.

Evidence-based science has allowed us to move forward with determination and confidence that we can meet this virus head-on, and reduce the suffering and death experienced with earlier pandemics.

This pandemic has been hard on all of us in one way or another. Vaccination is our best opportunity to bring this pandemic under control.

Earlier this spring, I received the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and I am fully vaccinated. I’m proud to play a role in ending the global suffering this disease has caused.

As you and your loved ones are vaccinated, I hope you will celebrate that you are part of the worldwide effort to control this virus, and part of a positive force for healing and a healthy future for ourselves, our families, and our neighbors both locally and around the world.

David O’Brien, MD, MS, is the senior vice president, chief executive for MultiCare Health System – Inland Northwest Region: Deaconess Hospital, Valley Hospital and Rockwood Clinic.