Herd Immunity Requires Effective Vaccine, Says WHO

London: The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday said the planet is nowhere near the amount of coronavirus immunity needed to induce herd immunity.

Herd immunity is typically achieved with vaccination. According to scientists, at least 70 percent of the population must have antibodies to prevent an outbreak, The New Indian Express (TNIE) reported quoting PTI.

However, some experts suggest that even if half the population had immunity, there might be a protective effect, the report added.

WHO’s emergencies chief Dr.Michael Ryan largely dismissed that theory at a press briefing on Tuesday, saying we should not live in hope of achieving herd immunity.

As a global population, we are nowhere close to the levels of immunity required to stop this disease transmitting, he was quoted as saying by PTI.

“This is not a solution we should be looking to. Most studies conducted to date have suggested only about 10 percent to 20 percent of people have antibodies,” he added.

Dr. Bruce Aylward, senior adviser to WHO’s director-general, added that any mass immunisation campaign with a COVID-19 vaccine would aim to cover far more than 50 percent of the world’s population.

We don’t want to be wrong, he said.

“You want to plan to get high coverage and not get lulled into a dangerously seductive suggestion that (the herd immunity threshold) could be low,” he was quoted as saying the report.