What Is Herd Immunity and Could It Help Prevent COVID-19?
Written by Noreen Iftikhar, MD Source healthline.com Some leaders — for example, Boris Johnson, the prime minister of the United Kingdom — suggested it might be a good way to stop or control the spread of the new coronavirus, which causes COVID-19. Herd immunity is also called community immunity and herd or group protection. Herd immunity happens when so many people in a community become immune to an infectious disease that it stops the disease from spreading. This can happen in two ways: Many people contract the disease and in time build up an immune response to it (natural immunity). Many people are vaccinated against the disease to achieve immunity. Herd immunity can work against the spread of some diseases. There are several reasons why it often works. There are also many reasons why herd immunity won’t yet work to stop or slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19, the disease caused by an infection of the new coronavir...