Is herd immunity the best way to beat coronavirus?

Herd immunity strategy has come under scrutiny. Herd immunity assumes a large section of the population will be infected. Rather than enforce lockdown measures, herd immunity encourages social distancing in public places. The aim is to have as many low-risk people infected as possible. Immune people cannot infect others. Therefore, the more there are, the faster we kill its exponential growth, and the easier it will be to treat the vulnerable. The WHO has criticised the approach, as have many others. Is the Swedish government correct?

Herd immunity is our best defence against the spread of coronavirus

Policy should be focussed on managing, rather than unsuccessfully containing, the spread of the virus.

Herd immunity has worked to stop viruses before

Herd immunity is one of the ways viruses stop spreading.

Herd immunity will not work

This approach to the coronavirus pandemic is counterproductive, foolhardy and dangerous.

Herd immunity will not work because you can get coronavirus twice

Because there is no evidence that proves that people gain antibodies after being infected by the coronavirus, being infected with it twice is a possibility.

The effects of covid are likely to be worse second time around

To achieve this would cause an impermissible death rate

Herd immunity is a risky bet

There are far too many variables to the coronavirus pandemic to have any confidence in the British government's policy of herd immunity.

Herd immunity is risky because some people will die of coronavirus

The coronavirus has claimed thousands of lives around the globe.

Herd immunity is risky because the virus could mutate

Just like any other virus, the coronavirus could mutate and become deadlier than it already is.

Herd immunity is irrelevant

Herd immunity ensures public health through an immunisation programme

Herd immunity should not be a strategy when there is no vaccine

Vaccines are an important part of stopping viruses and illnesses. Making a coronavirus vaccine is more important than herd immunity.

Questioning the merits of herd immunity is, in itself, a misnomer

In the absence of a vaccine, the only chance we have of trumping this virus is by achieving herd immunity.
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This page was last edited on Tuesday, 15 Sep 2020 at 13:17 UTC