With COVID-19 cases rising worldwide, some countries seem to put their faith on herd immunity. However, many have also raised concerns about it. Countries like India have re-confirmed that re-infection by genetically distinct Sars-CoV-2 virus is possible, reported Hindustan Times. 

Herd immunity is a form of indirect protection from an infectious disease in which the majority of population acquire natural immunity. UK pandemic adviser Graham Medley told HT “We are going to have to generate what we call herd immunity”, which would require “a nice big epidemic”. However, British officials denied it as a part of their plan after facing criticism.

Also read: Phase-III human trial of Oxford vaccine to begin in Pune next week

In a recent interview with HT, Bill Gates have explained why we should drop the idea of herd immunity. “Letting people get sick until most are immune and the disease no longer spreads easily will lead to many millions of deaths. The second (issue not being addressed) is that herd immunity is always temporary, because children are born without immunity, and eventually there will be enough susceptible people that the disease can start spreading easily again,” said Gates.

The World Health Organization have also said that there is no evidence available through which we can confirm that herd immunity will work.

“We are nowhere close to the levels of immunity required to stop this disease transmitting. We need to focus on what we can actually do now to suppress transmission and not live in hope of herd immunity being our salvation,” said Dr Michael Ryan, executive director of WHO Health Emergencies Programme.

Also read: When will we have coronavirus vaccine? Health minister’s big statement

According to a paper on ‘A history of Herd Immunity’ published in The Lancet, the phrase was first used by American veterinarian George Potter in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association in 1916, about an epidemic of “contagious abortion” in livestock, and how retaining the immune cows can save the herd.

While herd immunity has its own doubts, we have evidence that they can stop disease transmission, and in the case of smallpox and polio, eradicate diseases. “A vaccine is critical. It will save lives now and protect future generations from re-living this experience,” Gates told HT.