WHO boss warns herd immunity no solution
Print Edition
The World Health Organization chief warned on Monday against just allowing the novel coronavirus to spread in the hope of achieving so-called herd immunity, saying it was 鈥渦nethical.鈥
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cautioned against calls in some countries to let COVID-19 run its course until enough people develop the immunity needed to naturally halt its spread.
鈥淗erd immunity is a concept used for vaccination, in which a population can be protected from a certain virus if a threshold of vaccination is reached,鈥 he said.
For measles, for instance, it is estimated that if 95 percent of the population is vaccinated, the remaining 5 percent will also be protected from the spread of the virus.
鈥淗erd immunity is achieved by protecting people from a virus, not by exposing them to it,鈥 Tedros said.
鈥淣ever in the history of public health has herd immunity been used as a strategy for responding to an outbreak, let alone a pandemic.鈥
Relying on naturally obtaining herd immunity would be 鈥渟cientifically and ethically problematic,鈥 he added.
鈥淎llowing a dangerous virus that we don鈥檛 fully understand to run free is simply unethical. It鈥檚 not an option.鈥
Tedros pointed to the lack of information on the development of immunity to COVID-19, including how strong the immune response is and how long antibodies remain in the body.
Tedros pointed to some cases where people are believed to have been infected a second time. He also stressed the many long-term health problems of infection, which researchers are only just beginning to understand.
And he pointed out it has been estimated less than 10 percent of the population in most countries are believed to have contracted the disease.
鈥淭he vast majority of people in most countries remain susceptible to this virus,鈥 he said. 鈥淟etting the virus circulate unchecked therefore means allowing unnecessary infections, suffering and death.鈥
Overall, it is estimated that 0.6 percent of people who contract Covid-19 die from the disease, Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO鈥檚 technical lead on the virus, told at Monday鈥檚 briefing.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
