Posted on by Californiacontrarian

The Great Barrington Declaration, Revisited


Per chance, I happened on this today. The Great Barrington Declaration (GBD) was put forth almost a year ago, on October 4, 2020. I cannot recall if at that time, I read it or not, but when I read it today, I was gratified that it said mostly what I have been saying since the beginning of this pandemic. Important to note, that the GBD was published prior to the availability of the vaccinations, and with the resurgence of the delta variant, and the waning effectiveness of the vaccines, it is appearing more and more prescient. I think that it is safe to say that very few had the foresight to predict the present leakage of the vaccines with an increasing percent of hospitalizations and deaths occurring in vaccinated individuals.

Obviously all are invited to read the GBD in its entirety, but what follows is a summary of its main thrust (and parenthetically my main thrust for over a year):

The Great Barrington Declaration 

– As infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists we have grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies, and recommend an approach we call Focused Protection. 

-Current lockdown policies are producing devastating effects on short and long-term public health. The results (to name a few) include lower childhood vaccination rates, worsening cardiovascular disease outcomes, fewer cancer screenings and deteriorating mental health – leading to greater excess mortality in years to come, with the working class and younger members of society carrying the heaviest burden. Keeping students out of school is a grave injustice. 

-As immunity builds in the population, the risk of infection to all – including the vulnerable – falls. We know that all populations will eventually reach herd immunity – i.e.  the point at which the rate of new infections is stable – and that this can be assisted by (but is not dependent upon) a vaccine. Our goal should therefore be to minimize mortality and social harm until we reach herd immunity.

-The most compassionate approach that balances the risks and benefits of reaching herd immunity, is to allow those who are at minimal risk of death to live their lives normally to build up immunity to the virus through natural infection, while better protecting those who are at highest risk. We call this Focused Protection. 

-Those who are not vulnerable should immediately be allowed to resume life as normal. Simple hygiene measures, such as hand washing and staying home when sick should be practiced by everyone to reduce the herd immunity threshold. Schools and universities should be open for in-person teaching. Extracurricular activities, such as sports, should be resumed. Young low-risk adults should work normally, rather than from home. Restaurants and other businesses should open. Arts, music, sport and other cultural activities should resume. People who are more at risk may participate if they wish, while society as a whole enjoys the protection conferred upon the vulnerable by those who have built up herd immunity.

Rereading this,I say, “Right on!”

After a full year of misguided approaches, like lockdowns, stopping all kid’s sports, closing schools to in-person teaching, closing restaurants, barber shops, churches, etc, society is now sneaking back up on what used to be normal. The hooker here, however, is the increasing waning effectiveness of the vaccines. I continue to say that there should be a relaxing of preventative measures in those with minimal risk from Covid, namely in all students up to and through college. Stop vaccinating high school students, and do not start vaccinating kids less than twelve years of age. And most of all, stop the incessant and punitive wearing of masks in schools and especially in the classrooms.

9/16/21

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