Better analysis of herd immunity:
The Independent
What is herd immunity?
When enough people in a community are vaccinated against a disease, this can make it more difficult for the disease to spread to susceptible individuals who have not yet been or cannot be vaccinated. This, the NHS outlines, is called “herd immunity”.
The Vaccine Knowledge Project at Oxford University explains in greater detail, using the analogy of a person being infected by measles.
“If someone with measles is surrounded by people who are vaccinated
against measles, the disease cannot easily be passed on to anyone, and
it will quickly disappear again,” the organization states.
“This is called ‘herd immunity’, ‘community immunity’ or ‘herd protection’, and it gives protection to vulnerable people such as newborn babies, elderly people and those who are too sick to be vaccinated”.
However, the organization stresses that herd immunity “only works” if the majority of a population have been vaccinated against a condition, adding that it “does not protect against all vaccine-preventable diseases”.
“Unlike vaccination, herd immunity does not give a high level of individual protection, and so it is not a good alternative to getting vaccinated,” the Vaccine Knowledge Project says.
Professor Mark Woolhouse, a professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, tells The Independent that the concept of herd immunity is “the basis of all vaccination programs”.
However, it can also occur naturally, he explains, stating: “If you’ve been exposed to any infection, enough people have already been exposed to it, have developed antibodies and they’re immune to it, you can have natural herd immunity, and that particular virus will not be able to cause an epidemic in the population.
“It doesn’t mean it won’t be able to spread as there’ll still be some susceptible people, but it won’t take off and cause an epidemic,” he says.
“This is called ‘herd immunity’, ‘community immunity’ or ‘herd protection’, and it gives protection to vulnerable people such as newborn babies, elderly people and those who are too sick to be vaccinated”.
However, the organization stresses that herd immunity “only works” if the majority of a population have been vaccinated against a condition, adding that it “does not protect against all vaccine-preventable diseases”.
“Unlike vaccination, herd immunity does not give a high level of individual protection, and so it is not a good alternative to getting vaccinated,” the Vaccine Knowledge Project says.
Professor Mark Woolhouse, a professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, tells The Independent that the concept of herd immunity is “the basis of all vaccination programs”.
However, it can also occur naturally, he explains, stating: “If you’ve been exposed to any infection, enough people have already been exposed to it, have developed antibodies and they’re immune to it, you can have natural herd immunity, and that particular virus will not be able to cause an epidemic in the population.
“It doesn’t mean it won’t be able to spread as there’ll still be some susceptible people, but it won’t take off and cause an epidemic,” he says.
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