herd immunity" to the public consciousness, kindling hope the phenomenon can help slow or even end the outbreak.Herd immunity refers to a large portion of a community developing a degree of immunity to a virus, thereby reducing person-to-person spread.
As a result, the whole community gains protection, not just those who are immune.Natural Infection vs VaccinationThere are two pathways to herd immunity: natural infection or vaccination.Natural infection refers to when a large number of people have had a disease and recovered.
However, the extent of protection via natural infection is unknown with the new coronavirus. Moreover, more people would die while waiting for herd immunity than if a vaccine was produced."The risk is not acceptable,".