HERD IMMUNITY is the ultimate level of resistance to a particular disease acquired by a community or population or a group of people. It is actually a group protection beyond what is affordable by the protection of immunized individuals.
Frankly speaking, it is actually not possible to achieve cent percent HERD IMMUNITY to control an epidemic or a pandemic. It may be determined by Serological surveys.
Following are the elements contributing to HERD IMMUNITY:
- Clinical infections occuring in a herd.
- Ways of immunisation of the herd.
- Environmental and social factors that determine the HERD structure.
What is the meaning of Herd immunity threshold?
The way of stopping the spread of a pandemic by vaccinating just a specific percentage of the population is what we say Herd immunity threshold. This crucial threshold value actually depends on the spread of a disease and the vaccine used. This value is different for different kinds of diseases. For example, for measles the threshold value is approximately 95%.
HERD IMMUNITY is the description of a type of immunity that occurs when the process of vaccination of a certain portion of the population provides protection to non – vaccinated individuals.
In case of COVID -19, herd immunity happens when enough people have developed immunity against this disease that the risk of further community transmission is either significantly reduced or completely eliminated. When a certain percentage of the population have been vaccinated or directly been exposed and infected with the disease and developed immunity against it in the form of antibodies which prevent them from passing along the disease to others.
Read More>> THALASSEMIAS
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.