COVID-19: Mass Vaccination Not To Bring Herd Immunity In 2021, Says WHO

Geneva: Even as vaccines against COVID-19 are being rolled out by several countries, a top scientist at the World Health Organization has warned that mass vaccinations would not bring about herd immunity against coronavirus this year.

Stating that infection numbers are surging around the world, especially in Europe, the WHO’s chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan, said it would take time to produce and give enough shots to halt the spread of the virus, which has infected more than 90 million people worldwide with deaths approaching two million.

“We are not going to achieve any levels of population immunity or herd immunity in 2021,” Swaminathan said on Monday, stressing the need to maintain physical distancing, hand-washing, and mask-wearing, news agency AFP reported.

Experts are also concerned about the rapid spread of new variants of the virus, such as the one first detected in Britain which is feared to be significantly more transmissible.