Why herd immunity no longer being sold as the path out of the pandemic

circumstances have changed dramatically over the course of the pandemic, with the original SARS-CoV-2 virus superseded by far more infectious variants.

Early in the pandemic, the term “herd immunity” hit the headlines, along with a polarised discussion on how to achieve it.

Some groups were attached to the now-discredited notion of letting a dangerous virus rip through the population to reach the critical level of population immunity needed to reduce transmission.

But a more serious conversation focussed on the prospect of attaining herd immunity by vaccination.

This is the idea that vaccines – when available and taken up at sufficient levels – could squash virus transmission. This would lead to the possible elimination or eradication of SARS-CoV-2,