Factcheck: Herd immunity is not the solution to COVID-19 pandemic
“While herd immunity has successfully protected populations from other infectious diseases, such as measles and smallpox, all efforts to stop the SARS-CoV-2 virus — the virus behind COVID-19 — from spreading have fallen short. According to Giurgea, immune responses against this virus, whether achieved through vaccination or a previous infection, subside with time. Additionally, the ability of the virus to mutate allows it to evade these immune responses and continue to spread in the population.”
While herd immunity has successfully protected populations from other infectious diseases, such as measles and smallpox, all efforts to stop the SARS-CoV-2 virus — the virus behind COVID-19 — from spreading have fallen short. According to Giurgea, immune responses against this virus, whether achieved through vaccination or a previous infection, subside with time. Additionally, the ability of the virus to mutate allows it to evade these immune responses and continue to spread in the population.