Remember, in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, epidemiologists and other experts were debating whether it was better to lockdown or let the virus spread to achieve herd immunity.
It is a question we’re always faced with when a new disease (for which we have no protection) suddenly develops in a population.
In this article, we’ll explore what herd immunity is, how it works, and why it’s such an important concept in epidemiology.
What is Herd Immunity?
Herd immunity, also known as community immunity or population immunity, is an indirect form of protection from infectious diseases.
It occurs when a specific proportion of a population becomes immune to an illness. Once a threshold is reached, the spread slows down or stops altogether.
This means individuals who aren’t personally immune (either they’ve not previously had the disease or have not received the vaccine) receive a degree of protection thanks to the prevalence of immunity around them.
After all, you can’t contract a disease from a person who can’t have it.
How It Works
Imagine a society where nobody is immune to a particular contagious disease. If a single person gets infected, they can easily pass the disease on…
