The devil in the details: Herd immunity and pandemic response.

Schaeffer, Beau; Taylor, Bradford; Bushman, Mary; Hanage, William P

Schaeffer, Beau; Taylor, Bradford; Bushman, Mary; Hanage, William P.

Schaeffer B; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
Taylor B; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
Bushman M; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
Hanage WP; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. Electronic address: whanage@hsph.harvard.edu.

Cell Host Microbe ; 29(7): 1048-1051, 2021 07 14.

Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1309196

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT

If enough individuals in a population are immune to a pathogen, it cannot cause an outbreak. Deliberately seeking such herd immunity through infection during a potentially lethal pandemic is contrary to all principles of public health, given the potential for uncontrolled outbreaks and risks to vulnerable populations.

Subject(s)

COVID-19/immunology; Immunity, Herd; Pandemics; COVID-19/transmission; COVID-19 Vaccines; Disease Outbreaks; Humans; Public Health; SARS-CoV-2; Vaccination

Keywords

COVID-19; herd immunity; overdispersion; pandemic; transmission; waning immunity

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Immunity, Herd / Pandemics / COVID-19 Type of study: Prognostic study Topics: Vaccines Limits: Humans Language: English Journal: Cell Host Microbe Journal subject: Microbiology Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: J.chom.2021.06.017

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