Dr. Anthony Fauci is Director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Chief Medical Advisor to the U.S. President. He speaks with some authority when he says we don’t know enough about COVID herd immunity to be able to rely on it. At this stage herd immunity is a myth in terms of mainline science. We should stop chasing after an elusive number he says.
Back to Basics and What Is Herd Immunity
World Health Organization (WHO) says herd, although we prefer population immunity is when everybody has protection. This appears to be a departure from the previous model of 70% immunity. WHO is in favor of achieving this through vaccination. As opposed to sitting back and letting people develop antibodies through infection.
However, as Dr. Anthony Fauci told the media during the White House COVID-19 Response Team press conference of March 29, 2021. ‘There is no such thing as 100% protection, because the virus will always find a few places to slip through.’ Perhaps this is why we should accept herd immunity as a myth.
Is Herd Immunity a Myth Because of Variants?
Dr. Anthony Fauci agrees the variants are wild cards in terms of vaccine successes and failures. However, even with the Johnson and Johnson one hovering on 65%, ‘there were essentially no deaths. Or hospitalizations in the individuals who were vaccinated,’ he points out
If herd immunity is a myth, then he insists. ‘Let’s get as many people vaccinated as quickly as we possibly can’ so we could all survive. Especially because we don’t have a number for COVID herd immunity after a year has passed.
The herd threshold for measles is 95%, and polio about 80%. We have a way to go to reach our target, whatever that is. In the meantime, it make sense to have the vaccine.
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