Herd Immunity
vaccination or protection of a critical mass of people
Herd immunity refers to a situation where a large portion of a community or population becomes immune to a particular infectious disease, either through vaccination or prior illness, thereby providing indirect protection to those who are not immune. It is sometimes also referred to as community immunity.
Herd immunity works because when a large portion of a population is immune to a disease, it becomes much more difficult for the disease to spread from person to person. As a result, even those who are not immune are less likely to get sick or to come into contact with the disease.
To achieve herd immunity, a specific percentage of the population needs to be immune. This percentage varies depending on the infectiousness of the disease, but it generally falls between 70% and 90% of the population.
Herd immunity is an important concept in public health because it provides a way to protect vulnerable individuals who cannot be vaccinated or who may not respond to vaccination, such as elderly people or those with weakened immune systems. It also helps to prevent the emergence of new strains of infectious diseases, as the fewer people who are infected, the fewer opportunities the disease has to mutate and evolve.
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